'Was targeted to embarrass govt', says Sreehari Aney

Sreehari Aney, the Advocate General of Maharashtra who resigned over his comments backing a separate statehood for Marathwada, said on Tuesday that he quit as he was being targeted to embarrass the state government.

Citing the example of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Telangana, Aney asked what was wrong in him expressing his views on the subject.

"I am constantly targeted just to embarrass the state government. Hence I decided to resign as the Advocate General," Aney told ANI.

"Those saying demand for Vidharba state is sedition, what about Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Telangana?" he added.

Shiv Sena had criticized Aney's remarks on Vidharbha and sought his resignation.

The move comes after an event in Jalna district of Marathwada on Sunday, where Aney had stated that Marathwada bore more injustice than Vidarbha and should therefore be independent.

The opposition parties and Shiv Sena staged demonstrations in Vidhanbhavan vicinity even today. The demonstrators flashed boards demanding apology from Aney, and action against him.

Aney had taken over as state advocate general in October 2015. In December he had courted controversy by asking for a referendum on statehood for Vidarbha. At the time, Fadnavis had stood by him and said there was no need for him to resign.