Mumbai: Shiv Sena leader of Thackeray faction, Sanjay Raut on Sunday said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) should remove state Governor BS Koshiyari over his controversial remarks on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
Raut said, “BJP should apologize and remove the Governor from here after this insult. The Governor should himself resign.”
A day earlier, the Governor said that Shivaji Maharaj has become an old idol. He advised people to choose new idols.
“If someone asks you who is your idol, you don’t have to go out looking for it, you’ll find them right here in Maharashtra. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj has become an old idol now, you can find new ones from Babasaheb Ambedkar to Nitin Gadkari,” said the Governor.
The comments of the Maharashtra Governor sparked controversy in the state. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader reacted on his remarks and accused him of demeaning Maharashtra.
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“The President of India must seriously think of changing this person (Koshyari) holding a constitutional position, who constantly makes statements that create controversy. The BJP is always silent about his demeaning statements that hurt the sentiments of Maharashtrians,” said NCP chief spokesman, Clyde Crasto.
The Maharashtra unit of Aam Aadmi Party also demanded resignation from Koshiyari as he ‘insulted’ Shivaji Maharaj.
In a press release, the AAP said, ‘Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is not just an idol’ while asserting that the Maratha warrior is a hero.
Further in its statement, the AAP slammed the Governer for keeping B.R. Ambedkar in the same category as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Nitin Gadkari, who is a Union Cabinet Minister in the Narendra Modi-led central government.
“And then to speak of our Babasaheb in the same breath as Gadkari. Babasaheb is a leader, a hero for all of India. He is the architect of our Constitution. To compare him to any BJP leader demeans Babasaheb’s stature and the body of work that he has done,” read the press release.
Press Release
19th November, 2022AAP calls out Governor Koshiyari’s insult to Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj; Totally unacceptable, demands his immediate resignation. pic.twitter.com/GScovwwzuw
— AAP Mumbai (@AAPMumbai) November 19, 2022
