A governor is the head of a state and is appointed by the President of India under the Constitution. He is expected not to get identified with any political philosophy. However, the Maharashtra governor has no qualms about indulging in politics. He has often been accused by the Opposition parties of acting as the puppet of the Bharatiya Janata Party and making intemperate statements hurting the sentiments of people. The time may have come for the Centre to move this governor out of Maharashtra even if it is under Sena-BJP rule now.
Since becoming the governor of Maharashtra on September 5, 2019, Bhagat Singh Koshyari has earned himself the reputation of speaking first and thinking later. He has once again caused a political controversy out of nowhere with his statement that Marathi people will be left with no money and Mumbai will lose its status of being the financial capital if all Gujaratis and Rajasthanis are removed from Maharashtra. This has left the Eknath Shinde government in embarrassment. But more importantly, the comment has the potential to cause polarisation on regional lines.
The “Marathi pride” and “sons of soil” issues have often played a big role in Maharashtra’s municipal elections, particularly in Mumbai and its neighbouring Thane city. The Shiv Sena has controlled both the municipalities for more than two decades mainly by claiming to be the protector of the “sons of soil”. The governor’s statement has provided a chance to the Shiv Sena and its allies to put the BJP on the mat ahead of the all-important local body elections to be held in a few months. It was no surprise that Uddhav Thackeray dragged chief minister Shinde and the BJP into the controversy and accused them of harbouring a desire to separate Mumbai from Maharashtra.
The latest comment may be the last straw that breaks the camel’s back as Mr Koshyari has rocked the boat too often for comfort. Earlier this year, his remarks on social reformers Savitribai Phule and Mahatma Jyotiba Phule had caused a major row. While inaugurating a statue of Savitribai Phule in Pune, he had said, “Savitribai was married off when she was ten years old… and her husband Jyotiba was 13 years old. Now imagine, what would the boy and girl have been doing after marriage?” In February this year, he was severely criticised by the Maratha organisation after he said, “Who would have asked about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj had there not been Samarth Ramdas?” In October 2020, he had “directed” the state government to reopen the places of worship and asked the then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray if he had turned “secular”.
Surely, the Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP are targeting the governor to accomplish their political agenda. But the constant reckless remarks by the governor on the issues that are outside his constitutional duties are escalating tensions, threatening law and order issues, dividing people on communal/linguistic lines and aggravating political instability in the state. In such a situation, the state government should be raising a complaint with the President against the governor.
Maharashtra chief minister Shinde and his deputy Devendra Fadnavis have, however, given a limp response by merely saying that they do not agree with the governor. Mr Shinde, particularly, is at a crossroads in his political career after turning against his own party. Without the support of the Shiv Sena cadre, he needs to win over the common man, which will be difficult if the governor is allowed to continue unbridled. By not taking Mr Koshyari’s habit of self-destruction seriously, he might be jeopardising his own position.
