Maharashtra’s Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari is in the middle of a controversy that erupted after his statement in a program organized by the Rajasthani community in Mumbai on 29th July 2022. In this program, Bhagat Singh Koshyari said that without the contribution of Gujaratis and Rajasthanis, Mumbai and Thane region could not become the financial capital of the country.
Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari presided over the Inauguration and Naming Ceremony of a Chowk in Andheri Mumbai after Late Smt Shantidevi Champalalji Kothari . pic.twitter.com/yzWzwj4MX3
— Governor of Maharashtra (@maha_governor) July 29, 2022
However, after criticism by many Marathi politicians, both in government and in opposition, Bhagat Singh Koshyari has issued an explanation from his Twitter handle in which he said that he did not mean to insult Marathis but he was rather talking about the contribution by the Gujarati and Rajasthani people in the development of the state.
राज्याचा राज्यपाल त्याच राज्याच्या जनतेची बदनामी करतो हे भयंकर आहे. गुजराती राजस्थानी हा विषय राहू द्या यांनाच सर्वात आधी नारळ दिला पाहिजे. यांच्या कारकिर्दीत राज्यपाल या संस्थेचा व महाराष्ट्राच्या राजकीय परंपरेचा स्तर तर खालावला आहेच, पण महाराष्ट्राचा अवमानही सातत्याने झाला आहे. pic.twitter.com/jfM1pQ4p0w
— Sachin Sawant सचिन सावंत (@sachin_inc) July 29, 2022
Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari presided over the inauguration and naming ceremony of a chowk in the Andheri area of Mumbai named after Late Smt Shantidevi Champalalji Kothari. After the inaugural program, he was addressing a program in which he said, “Sometimes I tell the people here in Maharashtra that if we remove Gujaratis and Rajasthanis from Maharashtra, especially from the Mumbai and Thane region, you will be left with no money. The state capital will no longer be known as the economic capital.”
This statement by the governor drew criticism from politicians representing various parties in Maharashtra. Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee member Sachin Sawant said in his tweet, “It is a serious concern that the governor of a state defames the people of the very state. Before Gujaratis and Rajasthanis we should give a farewell to him. During his tenure, we saw a lowered stature of the governor’s post and repeated insults to Maharashtra.”
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray said in his tweet, “If you don’t know about the history of Maharashtra, then you don’t talk about it. People avoid speaking about you because the governor is a respectable post. But sentiments of the people of Maharashtra get hurt due to your statements. The people of Maharashtra have always kept their hearts and the land business-friendly. Isn’t it because of this, that people from other states come here to do their business? Will they get such an atmosphere anywhere else? Please don’t spoil things at the behest of someone else when there are elections to be held soon in the state. We are not too naive to understand the reason behind your this statement. For now, all we can tell you is that don’t provoke Marathi men.”
“मराठी माणसाला डिवचू नका!” pic.twitter.com/0to6ByNyPk
— Raj Thackeray (@RajThackeray) July 30, 2022
After this criticism, governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari issued an explanation in this matter from the official Twitter handle of the Governor of Maharashtra. He said, “Mumbai is the pride of Maharashtra. It is also the financial capital of the country. I am proud that I got the opportunity to serve as governor in this land of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Marathi men. That is why I tried to learn the Marathi language in a very short period of time. I had no intention of undermining Marathis in the statement I made at a Rajasthani community event yesterday. I spoke only about the contribution made by Gujarati and Rajasthani people to the business here.”
काल राजस्थानी समाजाच्या कार्यक्रमात मी जे विधान केले त्यात मराठी माणसाला कमी लेखण्याचा माझा कुठलाही हेतू नव्हता. केवळ गुजराती आणि राजस्थानी मंडळांनी व्यवसायात दिलेल्या योगदानावर मी बोललो.
— Governor of Maharashtra (@maha_governor) July 30, 2022
Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari further said, “It was the Marathi people who worked hard and raised Maharashtra. That is why many Marathi entrepreneurs are famous today. They are taking ahead the Marathi legacy not only in Maharashtra but also in India and around the world. Therefore, there is no question of underestimating the contribution of the Marathi people. But as always, my statement was distorted. The contribution of the hard work of the Marathi people in building the Maharashtra state is the highest. Recently, people have developed a habit to view everything with a short-sighted vision through a political lens. We have to change this. The appreciation of one community is never an insult to another.”
पण नेहमीप्रमाणे माझ्या वक्तव्याचा विपर्यास केला गेला. महाराष्ट्राच्या उभारणीत मराठी माणसाच्या कष्टाचे योगदान सर्वाधिक आहेच. अलीकडे प्रत्येक बाबतीत राजकीय चष्म्यातून बघण्याची दृष्टी विकसित झाली आहे, ती आपल्याला बदलावी लागेल. एका समाजाचे कौतुक हा दुसऱ्या समाजाचा अपमान कधीही नसतो.
— Governor of Maharashtra (@maha_governor) July 30, 2022
Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari further said that political parties should not create any unnecessary controversy over it. He retreated that he can never disrespect the Marathi people because, though everyone holds his share in the development of this state housing many different castes and communities, the contribution of Marathi people is the highest among them all.
