Mumbai With the controversy over “Shivaji’s insult” refusing to die down, Maratha Kranti Morcha (MKM) has decided to mount pressure on the Shinde-Fadnavis government for removal of Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari by holding protests.
The outfit has started its agitation outside residences of ministers and MLAs of the ruling parties in an attempt to embarrass the Shinde-Fadnavis government. On Sunday, the activists from the community held a protest outside state cooperation minister Atul Save’s residence in Aurangabad.
Save, who is a BJP MLA from Aurangabad East assembly constituency, met the protestors and heard their demand. He also assured them to pass on their sentiments to the chief minister Eknath Shinde and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.
The activists from the outfit gathered outside Save’s residence in the morning. They played drums to register their protest and raised slogans, “Rajyapal hatao, Maharashtra bachao,” (remove Governor, save Maharashtra).
MKM is an apex body of several Maratha outfits in the state. It had played a significant role in holding huge protests demanding reservation for the Maratha community in government jobs and education in 2018.
Vinod Patil, who was leading the morcha in Aurangabad, said, “The protest is being held to register our strong displeasure against Chhatrapati Shivaji’s insult. The minister has assured us of action against the governor.”
The controversy started after Koshyari said that King Shivaji was a past idol and now the state has new idols from BR Ambedkar to Nitin Gadkari. Since then, opposition parties, descendants of the Maratha King and several outfits have been demanding Koshyari’s removal as this was not the first time he stoked controversy surrounding Shivaji.
In February 2022, Koshyari found himself in a controversy after he said that Chhatrapati Shivaji would have been nothing without his guru Samarth Ramdas. His remarks drew the ire from some sections of the society and political parties in Maharashtra leading to protests in many districts.
On Saturday, a descendant of the Maratha King and BJP’s Rajya Sabha MP Udayanraje Bhosale staged a protest — Akrosh Morcha — at the historic Raigad Fort. He also said that those who kept silent were equally guilty of insulting Chhatrapati Shivaji. Earlier, Bhonsle had written to president Droupadi Murmu and prime minister Narendra Modi over the governor’s remarks.
Several social organisations have called for a bandh (shut down) on December 8 in Pimpri Chinchwad.