Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari's tenure in the state since his appointment in September 2019 has been marred by controversies, leading to protests from Opposition and demands of his ouster accusing him of disrespecting Maharashtra's idols and distorting history. Since Koshyari was appointed the Governor in 2019, there have been a number of instances where the erstwhile Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government and the Governor had faced off highlighting their uneasy relationship. It all started with him officiating the early morning swearing-in ceremony of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Devendra Fadnavis and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar, which lifted the President’s rule in the state. But the government could not last for more than three days and the MVA government was formed. In October 2020 the Sena was riled after the Governor had written a letter to Uddhav Thackeray over delay in reopening of places of worship, shut due to the coronavirus pandemic, and sought to know if he had turned "secular". Soon after the Governor’s letter, NCP chief Sharad Pawar had written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi objecting to the language used by the Governor in his letter to the CM. Union Home Minister Amit Shah had later said the Governor could have avoided certain words. After Shah's remarks, Pawar had said that anybody with self-respect will not continue in the post alluding to the Governor. In November 2020, Maharashtra cabinet recommended 12 names to be appointed to the state legislative council. As per procedure, the Governor is expected to clear the file paving way for appointments. For 1.5 years, despite various reminders and requests by cabinet ministers and even the Bombay High Court’s suggestion, Koshyari did not clear a single name. It further escalated the cold war between him and the MVA. In February 2021, a row erupted after the MVA government denied permission to Koshyari to use the state government aircraft for his travel to Mussoorie for a function. Thackeray’s office clarified that the government committed no mistake in the episode and further stated the Raj Bhavan secretariat should have verified whether the permission was granted before proceeding to board the flight. More than his confrontations with the government, his statements created uproar from political and social circles. In February 2022, he sparked a controversy by claiming saint Samarth Ramdas was a guru of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. “Many maharajas and chakravartis (emperors) were born on this land. But, who would have asked about Chandragupta had there not been Chanakya? Who would have asked about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj had there not been Samarth (Ramdas),” said Koshyari at a function in Aurangabad. Maratha organisations reacted to the statement and issued a statement saying Shivaji’s guru was his mother Rajmata Jijau. Days later he courted yet another controversy by mocking the child marriage of Mahatma Jyotiba Phule and Savitribai Phule. Now, with the new Shinde-Fadnavis government in power Koshyari seems to have decided that it is time to hang up his boots.
