Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar has taken another (coffee) potshot at state Governor BS Koshyari. What exactly seems to be brewing here? On the coffee table, to be exact is a book, released by Koshyari for completing a year in office.
Having been the recipient of the said tome and having leafed through it, Pawar wrote back a thank-you note but his keen eye had spotted some discrepancies in the book and naturally, he had some questions for the governor, starting with the title of the book.
How could it be, wondered Pawar, that while there is no mention of 'Janrajyapal' in the Constitution of India, it figures in the title of the book.
He also noted that while there were photographs of welcoming ceremonies, convocations, meetings with dignitaries and one or two swearing-in ceremonies, the cream of the crop, so to speak, was missing -- that of the November 23 pre-dawn swearing-in ceremony of Devendra Fadnavis as the chief minister and Ajit Pawar as his deputy that the venerable governor had presided over.
Further, the book had nary a mention of the governor's missive to the current Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on secularism nor the disapproval of the intemperate language used by Koshyari by the Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Pawar felt. On hearing of Amit Shah's censure, Pawar had caustically remarked that a person with self-respect would have resigned.
But all the same, Pawar was at pains to thank the Raj Bhavan secretariat for sending him the book. "I am thankful for being sent a copy of the book by the Raj Bhavan secretariat."
Further Pawar pointed out to the Governor that the book also doesn't mention anything about his advice to CM Uddhav Thackeray on secularism in his letter on the issue of reopening of temples in the state. Governor had said "I wonder if you are receiving any divine premonition to keep postponing the reopening of places of worship time and again or have you turned ‘secular’ yourselves, a term you hated.’’
Thackeray subsequently retorted to the Governor saying he does not need his certificate on Hindutva. Thereafter, the Union Home Minister Amit Shah, in a TV interview, said, ''I also feel that he (Governor) should have been more restrained in the choice of his words.''
Pawar reminded the Governor he won't be able to see information relating to his advice to CM on secularism and union minister’s disapproval of language in the coffee table book.The Governor released his coffee table book on September 11 and copies were sent to various dignitaries in the state.
Earlier, Pawar in a letter to PM Narendra Modi had snubbed the Governor for use of ‘’immoderate’’ language saying that '' I felt that I must share my pain with you and the public at the erosion of standards of conduct by the high constitutional office of the Hon Governor.’’ He further added that ‘’Unfortunately, Governor’s letter to the Chief Minister invokes the connotation as if written to the leader of a political party.’’
