Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari's comments that "Mumbai will have no money" if the Gujaratis and Rajasthanis were to leave triggered a massive controversy on Saturday. However, today wasn't the first time that he has caught himself in the storm.
Earlier, political parties had slammed Koshyari over his comment on the social reformers Jyotiba and Savitribai Phule over their early marriage. Thereafter, his statement that Samarth Ramdas was the guru of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj also sparked a major controversy. He also hogged the headlines following a war of words between him and the Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders.
On March 3 this year, Koshyari faced flak over derogatory comments he made on pioneers like Jyotiba Phule and Savitribai Phule. Koshyari at the public function in mocking tone referred to child marriage of Savitribai Phule and Jyotiba Phule. Phules are ideals of social justice.
Koshyari had said, ‘’Savitribai was married off when she was ten years old. And her husband Jyotirao was 13 years old. Now imagine, what would the boy and girl have been doing after marriage? What would they have been thinking?”
The State Congress slammed Koshyari in a tweet, ‘’What gestures, what laughter. Disgusting essence. Speaking about Krantijyoti Savitribai Phule, Koshyari's speech shows the distorted mentality of the Sangh. It is unfortunate for Maharashtra to have a Governor who does not know where, when and what to say!’’
Koshyari on February 8, 2022 stoked a controversy after he claimed that Samarth Ramdas was Chhatrapati Shivaji’s guru. "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 said. "I am not questioning the calibre of Chandragupta and Shivaji Maharaj. Like a mother who plays a key role in shaping her child. Similarly, the role of guru (teacher) has a big place in our society," the governor had said.
The Governor came under serious attack from ruling and opposition parties. His statement came when the rift between him and the MVA government was widening on a couple of issues. NCP and Congress staged protests against the Governor's remarks. A number of politicians including Chhatrapati Udayanraje Bhosale and Chhatrapati Shivendraraje Bhosale took strong exception.
However, the Governor later clarified that ‘’Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is the inspiration of the nation and from what I knew, from what I had read in the early days, I knew that Samarth Ramdas Swami was his guru. But if people have told me some facts from history, I will check those facts further. "
NCP MP Supriya Sule uploaded a video relating to her father and party president Sharad Pawar explaining that Chhatrapati Shivaji’s mother Jijamata was his guru and not Samarth Ramdas. She claimed that there is no evidence of the Shivaji and Ramdas having the teacher-disciple relationship.
Further, Koshyari and former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray were engaged in war of words in September last year after the Governor called for a special session of the state assembly following the rape and murder of a woman in Mumbai’s Sakinaka. Governor had attached the representation made by women BJP leaders demanding a special session.
However, Thackeray hit back saying Koshyari should request the Centre to call a session of parliament to discuss issues concerning the safety of women and growing attacks on them. Thackeray listed crimes against women in BJP-ruled states including Uttarakhand, the home state of Koshyari, and said he had "the soul of a political worker". He stated that such "instructions" by the Governor could stoke a new controversy and are damaging to the democratic parliamentary procedures.
Moreover, in October 2020, the rift between Governor and the then CM surfaced over the reopening of temples. The Governor had ridiculed Thackeray’s decision to reopen bars and restaurants in the state, and not temples or places of worship.
He said, “I wonder if you're receiving any divine premonition to keep postponing re-opening or you’ve suddenly turned ‘secular’, the term you hated?”
However, Thackeray shot back in his response to the Governor saying that he does not need lessons on Hindutva from him. Thackeray said he failed to understand the Hindutva ideology of the Governor after the latter invited over a person who equated Mumbai with Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
