Probe whether Koshyari violated Constitution: Sharad Pawar; Amazon parcel sent back, says Uddhav

Opposition leaders said Koshyari worked under pressure from the BJP-led Central government.

Accepting the resignation of Koshyari, President Droupadi Murmu replaced him with Ramesh Bais, former Jharkhand Governor, on Sunday.

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief said, “Never in the history of Maharashtra has such an individual become the Governor….” Stating that Maharashtra has been freed, Pawar said, “The decision to replace the Governor should have been taken much earlier.”
Pawar said a probe should be ordered if the Governor has acted against the provisions of the Constitution during his tenure. “If something has happened against the Constitution, there is a need for a probe,” he said.
Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) spokesperson Sanjay Raut said that the people of Maharashtra had been seeking the ouster of Koshyari for more than a year. “Yet, the Central government refused to heed to their request. The people here have been hurt badly by the utterances of Koshyari who had made disparaging remarks against national icons repeatedly. There were protests across the state…but the (Narendra) Modi government took no initiative for the removal of the Governor,” he said.

State Opposition leader Ajit Pawar said, “We respect our national icons. We are following the path shown by them. But the Governor was deliberately making insulting remarks against them. He should have been removed seven months back.”

The NCP leader expressed hope that the new Governor will live up to the “hallowed tradition” of Maharashtra.

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray remarked at an event in Mumbai, “Finally the Amazon parcel has been sent back…”

Raut said that throughout his tenure, Koshyari behaved more like a political leader than a Governor of the state. “He worked under pressure from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He took directives from top BJP leadership and worked for their convenience. He acted against the Opposition government in the state,” he said, referring to the previous Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in the state.

Prithviraj Chavan, former CM and senior Congress leader, said, “The Governor’s exit will end the protests that have been taking place across Maharashtra for months now. During his tenure, Governor Koshyari kept making controversial statements and did not cooperate with the Opposition government. Before becoming the Governor, he was an active politician of the BJP and even later, he tried to do the same.”

Chavan said the Governor blatantly refused to approve the 12 names recommended by the MVA government for appointment as Members of Legislative Council (MLCs). “He was clearly doing it at the behest of his political bosses. And thereby, he was trampling upon the Constitution,” he said.

State NCP president Jayant Patil said, “Koshyari lowered the prestige of the Governor’s post.”

Baramati MP Supriya Sule, an NCP leader, said, “After a long time, the BJP government and ED (Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis) Sarkar has taken a good step. The Governor repeatedly insulted Maharashtra and its people. He left no stone unturned to insult Maharashtra. The people of Maharashtra will never forgive him.”

BJP leader and Union Minister Raosaheb Dane, however, said the Governor behaved according to the Constitution. “There was no directions given from the top to him. Since he was following the Constitution, this was not liked by the previous MVA government. Just because he took his time over the appointment of 12 MLCs does not mean he was violating the Constitution.”