Left parties seek sacking of Maharashtra governor over letter to CM

Left parties demanded the sacking of Maharashtra Governor Koshyari for "insulting"and "violating" the Constitution in his letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray over reopening of places of worship

The Left parties on Wednesday demanded the sacking of Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari for "insulting"and "violating" the Constitution in his letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray for reopening of places of worship.

Koshyari and Thackeray were engaged in a bitter war of words on Tuesday after the former pushed for reopening of the places of worship in the state, closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and asked the Shiv Sena chief whether he had suddenly turned secular.

Thackeray responded to Koshyari's letter saying he will consider the request, but asserted that he does not need the governor's certificate for "my Hindutva".

"The CPI strongly objects to the remark made by Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari over secularism. The party feels it is a serious violation of the oath of office he had undertaken while assuming the office. Such a remark is also an insult to our Constitution, the Preamble of which specifically upholds India's commitment to secularism.

"The party urges the President of India, under whose pleasure he is the Governor, to dismiss him as he has proved to be not fit for the post. We express serious concern over the conduct of the governors appointed by the President in states which are under non-BJP elected governments. The party also appeals to the President to ensure that the heads of constitutional bodies pay their undiluted respect to our Constitution," the Communist Party of India (CPI) said in a statement.

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury echoed similar sentiments and said Koshyari should be sacked.

"President of India must recall this Governor appointed by him. Having assumed this high Constitutional office upon oath of affirmation on the Indian Constitution he writes to the democratically elected CM brazenly violating it. This is unacceptable," he said in a tweet.