Maharashtra Governor BS Koshyari Leaves Assembly Without Completing Address Amid Sloganeering By MVA Legislators

The MVA legislators were agitated over Koshyari’s recent statement about Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and saint-philosopher-poet Samarth Ramdas.

Koshyari described Ramdas as the guru (teacher) of Shivaji while pointing out the importance of a guru in Indian culture. The statement sparked a row with MVA leaders saying that there was no historical significance of the teacher-student relationship between the two.

State NCP president and Water Resources Minister Jayant Patil was quoted by news agency PTI saying that the ruling MVA members shouted slogans in praise of Maratha warriors, while BJP legislators raised “low level” slogans which the governor couldn’t tolerate.

“It is unfortunate that he left without waiting for the national anthem,” Patil said.

The four-week budget session of the Maharashtra Legislature began on March 3.

BJP chief whip Ashish Shelar blamed the MVA for the governor ‘s speech ending abruptly.

“Our only demand inside and outside the legislature is that minister Nawab Malik, who has been accused of links with (fugitive gangster) Dawood Ibrahim’s associates, be asked to quit the ministry. We will not budge from the demand. It is the government’s responsibility to ensure smooth conduct of the proceedings,” he said.

The governor, during a programme in Aurangabad, underlined the role of the guru (teacher) while citing the examples of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Chandragupta Maurya.

“Many chakravartis (emperors), maharajas took birth on this land. But, who would have asked about Chandragupta had there not been Chanakya? Who would have asked about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj had there not been Samarth (Ramdas),” he had said.