Maharashtra AG Shrihari Aney resigns over ‘Marathwada statehood’ remark

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Opposition Congress and NCP, besides leaders from the ruling Shiv Sena, had Monday demanded that Aney be divested of the constitutional post, failing which they had threatened to block proceedings of both Houses of the state legislature during the ongoing Budget Session.

Making it clear that he was not asked by the chief minister or the governor to resign, Aney cited two reasons — “conflict of duty and institutional stability”.

Aney said he decided to step down as he reckoned Budget Session failure could prove detrimental for the government.

He meticulously argued his case to expose the “conflict”.

Aney said, “The AG is the first lawyer of the people of state. The advocate general is not a government pleader. I considered it my constitutional duty to place the interest of the people above the interest of the governmental machinery.”

He asserted that his commitment to public cause was evident in the manner in which he argued the cases pertaining to lack of development of Vidarbha, the insistence on the right of people of Marathwada to drinking water, and the need for stronger governmental measures to tackle the issue of farmer suicides and the state’s agrarian crisis.

Regarding institutional stability, he argued, “In spite of the fact that my stand on Vidarbha’s statehood is well known, it became the reason for disruption of the state’s legislature for two weeks in the Winter Session.”

Aney said he first spoke in support of statehood for Marathwada over a month ago at a public function at Ahmadnagar, and reiterated it three days ago at an event in Jalna. “I have written more elaborately about the Jalna speech in a separate post on Facebook,” he added.

Expressing his disappointment over the disruptions in the legislature business, Aney said, “It would perhaps have been better if the legislators had deliberated over the problems that occasion the demand for statehood and made some attempt to solve them. Shooting the messenger does not solve the problem.”

Acknowledging that as a lawyer he was aware the Budget Session failure could lead to downfall of the government, he said he could see a “clear pattern in the legislature disruption”. Aney said, “Since I shall not stop from voicing my demand for Vidarbha’s statehood, and the legislators will not stop from using it as a ready excuse to stall the working of the legislature, one of us has to step back.”

Aney had been handpicked by Fadnavis for the coveted post last year.

“I believe Advocate General’s prime function is to protect the interest of the people, and that the Legislature must function if the interest of the people is to be protected. My final act as Advocate General, which would be most in the interest of the people of the state, was to resign from the post,” the letter summed up.

Reaction to the development, Opposition leader Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil said, “AG is a constitutional post and it was not possible for us to compromise on the remark made on dividing Maharashtra.”