Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray, Governor Koshyari in a letter war over places of worship

Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari and chief minister (CM) Uddhav Thackeray engaged in a letter war over the reopening of religious places in the state,

Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari and chief minister (CM) Uddhav Thackeray engaged in a letter war over the reopening of religious places in the state, as part of the unlocking of Covid-enforced curbs. In the acrimonious exchange of letters, the governor, making a case for reopening places of worship, asked the CM if he had “turned secular”. Thackeray shot back a letter, asking if Koshyari does not believe in “secularism as enshrined in the Constitution”, adding that his Hindutva doesn’t need the governor’s certificate.

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The Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, comprising Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress, fears that opening up religious places would lead to crowding and consequently, a spike in Covid-19 cases. Earlier in the week, health minister Rajesh Tope hinted that everything across Maharashtra would open by November-end, albeit in a phased manner.

Maharashtra, which is the worst affected state in India, has 1,543,837 Covid-19 cases and 40,701 deaths thus far.

Speaking for reopening of religious places that have been shut since the lockdown was put in place in March, the governor, in his letter dated October 12, said, “It is ironic that while on one hand, the state government has permitted the opening of bars, restaurants and beaches, on the other hand, our Gods and Goddesses have been condemned to stay in the lockdown… I wonder if you are receiving any divine premonition to keep postponing the reopening of places of worship time and again or have you suddenly turned ‘secular’ yourselves, the term you hated (sic)?”

Thackeray, in an equally strong response on Tuesday, said, ”Why should you have this question? Are you saying that simply opening religious places stands for Hindutva and keeping them shut is secular? Also, don’t you accept that secularism is an important tenet of the Constitution by which you were sworn in as governor?”

The CM said the government is actively thinking about demands to open religious places, but their primary duty is the safety of people during the pandemic. “In your letter, you have referred to my Hindutva ideology and that is right, but my Hindutva does not need your certificate,” he said. In a reference to actor Kangana Ranaut’s visit to Raj Bhavan last month, Thackeray added, “My Hindutva does not permit me to welcome home a person, who called my Maharashtra or Mumbai as Pakistan- occupied Kashmir.”

Amid the tussle, the opposition, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), launched protests across the state, including Mumbai, Pune and Kolhapur, demanding the opening of temples and other religious places. In Mumbai, an agitation was led by the leader of Opposition in the legislative council Pravin Darekar and BJP leader Prasad Lad outside Siddhivinayak temple in Prabhadevi, Dadar.

State BJP chief Chandrakant Patil said the state government can formulate guidelines and open religious places like it has done for other things. “The manner in which the CM has responded to the governor is not correct. The governor has said that all religious places should open. A lot of people want to visit places of worship. He has said that not to teach them Hindutva, but it has to be taught because they have kept Hindutva aside for the sake of power,” Patil said.

NCP president Sharad Pawar wrote to prime minister Narendra Modi, expressing pain at the erosion of standard of conduct by the office of the governor. In his two-page letter, Pawar said intemperate language was used in the letter by Koshyari. Pawar also enclosed the copy of the governor’s letter to PM Modi and quoted a few paragraphs from it.

While stating that the governor has the right to his opinion and independent view on the matter of opening up of religious places, Pawar said he was “shocked and suprised” at the language of the letter, which was released to the media.

“I am sure you too would have noticed the intemperate language that has been used. In the very Preamble of our Constitution the word ‘Secular’ is added that equates and shields all religions and hence the Chair of the Chief Minister must uphold such tenets of the Constitution. Unfortunately Hon. Governors’ letter to the Chief Minister invokes the connotation as if written to the leader of a political party.”

He added that he believes in a democracy, free exchange of views between the Hon. Governor and the Hon. Chief Minister must take place, but “tone and tenor used must always be in keeping with the stature of the constitutional post occupied by the individuals.”

Former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said that the chief minister’s response to the governor’s request is “unfortunate”. Fadnavis backed the governor and said that he get representations from all quarters on various issues and points it out to the government. Similarly, he sent a letter with regards to reopen religious places. “I got to know about the CM’s response through media and it is unfortunate. Though it is a three-party government, it is surprising that in the Shiv Sena government, which calls itself a Hindutva party, a party that claims to be fighting Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s battle for God, country and principles, there is injustice towards temples,” Fadnavis said in Jalgaon.

Meanwhile, Sena chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut lashed out at governor and asked if Koshyari is not secular. Raut said that the CM responded to the letter in “Thackeray-style”. He added that CM’s letter is a “historic document” and a “lesson” on how to respond to an “interfering Raj Bhavan and governor” in a “courteous” manner.

Raut said that Koshyari is the constitutional head of the state and his job is to only oversee if the state is functioning as per the constitution or not while leaving the remaining things to the public-appointed government. “How to go about the unlocking of the state, the state government, chief minister and his Cabinet ministers will decide. So nobody should doubt if we are for Hindutva or not.

“Uddhav Thackeray is not just the chief minister but also the Shiv Sena chief and more importantly the son of Hinduruday Samrat Shiv Sena pramukh Balasaheb Thackeray, who sparked Hindutva in the country. We do not need lessons on Hindutva and is strong. Our mind and soul are for Hindutva,” Raut told reporters after a meeting with Thackeray at Matoshree on Tuesday.

NCP minister Chhagan Bhujbal said, “I have not read what the governor wrote, but being secular is not wrong. Our constitution itself is based on secularism. The Thackeray family is devout and they regularly visit their family deity near Lonavala. The Covid-19 is such that thousands of people would go to religious places and it could be dangerous. Considering this, if the chief minister has decided to go cautiously there is nothing wrong in it.”

Congress, the third partner in the MVA government, too, took a dig at Koshyari and questioned if he has written a similar letter to chief minister of Goa, where he is holding an additional charge as Governor.

“Koshyari in his letter has hurt the fundamental principles of the Constitution of India by commenting upon secularism. It is not expected from a person who has been sworn in the name of the constitution and who administered an oath to chief minister as per the provisions in the constitution. We have two more questions in this regard. Has honourable Koshyari written a similar letter to Goa chief minister as he is the governor of that state too? Similarly, we would like to know if the President of India endorses the governor’s remarks on secularism?,” Maharashtra Congress chief Balasaheb Thorat said,

Prakash Ambedkar, chief of Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA), took a mellow stance on the issue, stating that he does not agree with the language of the governor’s letter, but stands by the demand made by him. Ambedkar led a protest in Pandharpur in August-end, demanding to open the famous Rukhmai temple there.