Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh wades into 'Marathi manoos' row
MUMBAI: Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Saturday waded into controversy by remarking that there will be no money left in Mumbai and it will cease to be the financial capital of the country if Gujaratis and Rajasthanis were removed from Maharashtra. He had made the comment at a function in Mumbai, where he praised the contribution of Gujarati and Rajasthani people in the development of Mumbai to make it the country’s financial capital.
B S Koshyari clarifies remarks after backlash
Koshyari said his statement was misconstrued and asked parties not to create a controversy. There was no question of belittling the contribution of the Marathi people and “lauding one community does not mean
insulting another,’’ he said.
The governor’s comment made on Friday drew sharp reactions from the Shiv Sena, the Congress, and also the NCP. Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray said while the Governor’s position is a very respectable one the person who is occupying the post should also give respect to the office he holds. “If he starts disrespecting the chair then it is very unfortunate,” Thackeray said, adding that the governor has been insulting the Marathi people for the past two and a half years.
He wondered whether such a person should be allowed to be in office. Thackeray demanded an apology from Koshyari. Even Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, leader of the rebel Shiv Sena faction, said he disagreed with the Governor’s remarks. Talking to reporters at Malegaon, Shinde said, “It’s his personal view... He occupies a constitutional post and should take care that his actions do not insult others. The Marathi community’s hard work has contributed to the development Mumbai...No one can insult Mumbai, Marathi people.” State Congress spokesman Atul Londhe slammed the governor over his remarks, saying they smack of his hatred for the state.
He also demanded an apology from the governor. Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said if Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had self-respect, he should demand the resignation of the governor. Deepak Kesarkar, the spokesperson of the Shinde-led faction of Shiv Sena, also criticised the governor. As the protests grew, Koshyari later issued a clarification saying he never intended to belittle the contribution of hardworking Marathi people. He claimed his statement was misconstrued and asked political parties not to create a controversy over the issue.
According to a release issued by the Raj Bhavan, the governor noted that the Rajasthani- Marwari community is living in different parts of the country and also in countries like Nepal and Mauritius. “Wherever members of this community go, they not only do business but also philanthropy by creating schools, hospitals,” he said.