Anyone with self-respect would leave governor’s post: Pawar’s dig at Koshyari  

NCP supremo Sharad Pawar on Monday (October 19) launched a salvo at Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari over his letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on the reopening of places of worship, the tone of which had earned him the criticism of Home Minister Amit Shah.

Referring to Shah’s rebuff to Koshyari, Pawar said, “Anyone with self-respect will not continue in the post. Who are we to make any demand?”

“After the Union Home Minister’s statement expressing disappointment over language in the letter, anybody with self-respect will take a call on whether to continue in the post or not,” he told reporters in Osmanabad district, during his visit to take stock of the flood situation.

Koshiyari in a stinging letter to Thackeray had asked him to reopen religious places of worship.

“You have been a strong votary of Hindutva. You had publicly espoused your devotion for Lord Rama by visiting Ayodhya after taking charge as chief minister. You had visited the Vitthal Rukmini Mandir in Pandharpur and performed the puja on Ashadhi Ekadashi,” Koshyari wrote.

“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 in a quick rebuttal had told Koshyari that he doesn’t need his certificate from the governor and would take a decision after careful consideration.

Responding to the exchange between Koshyari and Thackeray, Shah in an interview had said the governor could have exhibited more restraint in his choice of words.

Referring to the same, Sharad Pawar said the reprimand to Koshyari is significant if the Union Minister has raised a concern over the language in his letter.