OPEN WAR, NOT COLD WAR AGAINST GOVERNOR: RAUT

Says Governor BS Koshyari has been working under pressure from BJP

Days after Maharashtra Governor BS Koshyari was made to deboard the state plane, Shiv Sena Member of the Parliament Sanjay Raut said there was an open war and not cold war going on against him. He alleged that the governor was working under the pressure of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and that many decisions of the state government were delayed due to the latter.

Raut further claimed that the Raj Bhavan is being used for political purposes. He said that many important decisions of the state government were delayed due to the governor. "The constitution says that the governor is bound to accept the recommendations of the state cabinet. However, the governor is yet to take a decision on the nomination of 12 names to the state council despite the state cabinet’s recommendations a few months ago. This is clearly a breach of the constitution’s provisions. This also means that the governor is working under political pressure. Therefore, there is an open war, not the cold war which is on,” noted Raut.

Raut and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, at separate events last week, had said that the governor should clear the 12 nominations to the state council and they should not be forced by the government to approach the court of law against him for sitting on the state cabinet’s recommendations for a long time.

Raut’s outburst against the governor came a day after Shiv Sena’s mouthpiece Saamna, in its editorial on Saturday, had called upon the central government to recall Koshyari for trampling upon the values that characterise his high office. Saamna, in its editorial, had accused Koshyari of being the ‘puppet’ of the BJP.

It further said the central government should not place the gun on the governor’s shoulder to target the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) regime in the state. “If the central government has any respect for the constitution and the rules, it should call the governor before it is exposed further,” Raut had said.

The constitution says that the governor is bound to accept the recommendations of the state cabinet. However, the governor is yet to take a decision on the nomination of 12 names to the state council despite the state cabinet’s recommendations a few months ago. This is clearly a breach of the constitution’s provisions. This also means that the governor is working under political pressure. Therefore, there is an open war, not the cold war which is on. -Sanjay Raut,

Shiv Sena MP