Governor should not have compared Pawar, Gadkari with Shivaji Maharaj: Maharashtra BJP president

Mumbai: Maharashtra BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Monday said Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari should not have compared Union minister Nitin Gadkari and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar with legendary Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

Speaking at an event over the weekend, Koshyari had said Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was an icon of the "olden days".

"Earlier, when you would be asked who is your icon — Jawaharlal Nehru, Subhas Chandra Bose and Mahatma Gandhi used to be the answers. In Maharashtra, you need not look elsewhere (as) there are so many icons here. While Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is of olden time, there are Ambedkar and Nitin Gadkari," the Governor said.

Koshyari made the remarks after conferring D Litt degrees on Gadkari, a senior BJP leader, and Pawar at an event held in Aurangabad. His comments triggered a political storm in Maharashtra with activists of the opposition NCP, the Congress, the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), and other organisations staging protests.

Speaking to reporters here, state BJP president Bawankule said, "He should not have compared NCP chief Sharad Pawar and Union minister Nitin Gadkari with Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. All the people in Maharashtra feel the same." However, it should not be forgotten that the Governor has been serving in his office taking inspiration from Shivaji Maharaj, said the BJP leader.

The Opposition in the state is looking for an excuse to target him and ignoring his good deeds of the last two-and-a-half years, said Bawankule.