Marwari vs Marathi row: Uddhav Thackeray breaks silence on Maha governor's remark

Maharashtra Governor Koshyari on Saturday courted controversy after he said if Gujaratis and Rajasthanis were removed from Maharashtra, then Mumbai will no longer remain the financial capital of the country.

Mumbai: The former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray slammed Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari and said that he has insulted the Marathis and their pride and that he is trying to divide the society on the basis of community. Uddhav Thackeray said, "I do not want to insult someone sitting on the post of Governor. I respect the chair but Bhagat Singh Koshyari insulted Marathis and there is anger among the people. Governor is trying to divide the society on the basis of religion, he is crossing every limit.” The Governor is the messenger of the President, he takes the words of the President throughout the country. But if he does the same mistakes, then who will take action against him? He has insulted the Marathis and their pride," Uddhav added.

Shiv Sena Chief`s comment came as a reaction to the Maharashtra Governor Koshyari when he had created a controversy by stating that, if Gujaratis and Rajasthanis were removed from Maharashtra, then Mumbai will no longer remain the financial capital of the country.

 During a speech at an event held to name a chowk after the late Shantideva Champalalji Kothari in Mumbai`s Andheri on Friday, Koshyari said, "Sometimes I tell people in Maharashtra that if Gujarati and Rajasthani people are removed from here, then you will be left with no money. You call Mumbai the financial capital, but if these people of both these states are not here, then it won`t be called financial capital."

The statement, however, triggered a political storm with many claiming that the sentiments of the Marathi people were hurried and their contribution ignored. Many political leaders took to Twitter to oppose the governor`s statement. Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut claimed that Koshyari`s speech was an insult to the people of Maharashtra. He urged Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to condemn the statement.

"The Marathi man gets insulted as soon as a BJP-sponsored Chief Minister is in power. CM Shinde should, at least, condemn the Governor. This is an insult to Marathi hard-working people," Raut said in a tweet on Saturday.

In another tweet, Raut said, "Chief Minister Shinde, are you listening? That your Maharashtra is different. If you have self-respect, then seek the resignation of the governor."