`Will show BJP what Maharashtra is about`: Uddhav Thackeray warns to remove Governor over Shivaji remark

New Delhi: Amid political brawl over ‘Shivaji’ remark by the Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Shiv Sena’s chief Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday, December 3, 2022, attacked the Governor. He also suggested implementing criteria for the appointment of the Governor. Giving a sharp comment on Singh’s remarks, Thackeray said that if the governor is not removed amid commenting on Shivaji, we will show what ‘Maharashtra’ is all about.

"Even if we say good words, the governor will not be changed. If the BJP is backing the Governor, now is the time to show him what Maharashtra is all about," he said while addressing a press conference.

The Former Maharashtra Chief Minister said that there should be criteria for the appointment of the Governor.

"The Governor is the representative of the President. That is why now criteria should be decided, on the basis on which the appointment of the governor should be made. Placing any brainless person in this position just because it is in someone`s favour will no longer work. The governorship is a position of prestige, so we need people of that quality," Thackeray said. 

He also appreciated Maharashtra MP Udayanraje Bhonsle for backing him, and thanked him for criticising the Governor over his remarks.

"I would thank MP Udayanraje Bhosale for the role he has taken today. Now all the Maharashtra lovers and Shiv Rai lovers are coming together against Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari. We will soon announce the program to remove the Governor," he said.

It is pertinent to note that the Maharashtra Governor on November 19, stoked a controversy when he called the Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj an `old idol`.

Bhagat Singh Koshyari, the governor of Maharashtra, spoke at a gathering on Saturday at the Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University in Aurangabad "You don't need to go looking for an idol if someone asks who your idol is. They are here in Maharashtra, where you can find them. Now that Nitin Gadkari, the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, is available, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj has become an outdated idol."

The Governor's remark on the Maratha warrior did not sit well with leaders because he is an emotionally charged and enduring figure in Maharashtra who transcends political allegiances. The declaration caused a huge uproar and drew criticism from both Maratha organisations and opposition leaders.

(With ANI inputs)