MUMBAI: Hours after he quit as Maharashtra Advocate-General, a defiant Shrihari Aney on Tuesday announced that if the post is the price he had to pay for the creation of Vidarbha and Marathwada states, it was a “very cheap price”.
An expert in legal matters related to the Constitution, Aney stepped down a day after the Opposition parties as well as the ruling Shiv Sena sought his head for backing the demand of statehood for the Marathwada region. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the Cabinet would request the Governor to accept Aney’s resignation.
“He has made some statements which are not in accordance with the State government’s stand. Also, Aney has submitted his resignation to the Governor and as per procedure, he (Governor) is taking its cognisance of it,” Fadnavis said.
Aney claimed that he had stepped down because he thought the State budget would not be passed if the stalemate in the legislature continued over his statement. “I did not want the government to face embarrassment. I stand by my statement that the demand for a separate Vidarbha has to be considered,” he said.