Maharashtra AG Shreehari Aney resigns over Marathwada statehood remark

Advocate general Shreehari Aney resigned from his post on Tuesday following his controversial remarks that Maharashtra should be trifurcated, just months after he stoked a debate over a referendum for Vidarbha.

Advocate general Shreehari Aney resigned from his post on Tuesday following his controversial remarks that Maharashtra should be trifurcated, just months after he stoked a debate over a referendum for Vidarbha.

The Shiv Sena has been calling for the removal of Shreehari Aney as state Advocate General for his remarks on the issue of statehood for Vidarbha and Marathwada. (Sunny Shende/HT File Photo)

Aney submitted his resignation to the Governor, Ch Vidyasagar Rao on Tuesday morning after a meeting that lasted about 20 minutes. The Governor’s decision though is pending.

Aney’s resignation was expected after chief minister Fadnavis expressed his unhappiness over the comment on Monday, a day on which state legislature proceedings were also disrupted over the issue.

The Sena decided to ban state cabinet meetings till action was taken against Aney.

Aney advocated for a separate Marathwada region while speaking at a function in Jalna on Saturday. He called on Marathwadas to brace for the fight for a separate state given the step-motherly treatment meted out to the region.

Aney, a senior lawyer from Nagpur which is also Fadnavis’ hometown, was appointed Advocate General (AG) on November 15, 2015, after Sunil Manohar resigned from the post in June that year, serving just seven months.

As AG, Aney’s primary responsibility was to represent the state government before the judiciary.

Aney had in December created another controversy when he called for a referendum on the statehood of Vidarbha, prompting the Shiv Sena to demand his removal. The BJP had at the time defended Aney saying he would not make any statements against the interest of the state.