Ministers thank nature and raise slogans, irk Governor

Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari expressed his unhappiness after some ministers deviated from the text of the oath given to them during the swearing-in

Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari expressed his unhappiness after some ministers deviated from the text of the oath given to them during the swearing-in ceremony on Monday.

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The Governor, who was administering the oath of office and secrecy to 36 ministers, including deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, was seen expressing his displeasure to chief minister (CM) Uddhav Thackeray, seated next to him, when a minister went extempore and raised slogans.

When seven-time Congress legislator KC Padvi was called to take his oath, he went extempore and thanked the “nature”, “humanitarians” and “voters”, prompting Koshyari to react.

“I won’t allow it [deviating from the text]. This will not do; please read it [the text] again. Your seniors [Sharad] Pawar ji, [Mallikarjun] Kharge ji are sitting here. If they tell me I am wrong, I will not ask you to [not deviate from the text],” a visibly irked Governor told Padvi, and made the minister take his oath again.

Before Padvi, Congress’s Varsha Gaikwad, NCP’s Jitendra Awhad, and Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Rathod had also deviated from the text given to them and hailed leaders or their community, drawing the Governor’s ire. When Gaikwad’s name was called out, she came to the dais and paid tribute to the “architect of the Constitution” [Dr BR Ambedkar], while taking her oath. Despite the Governor stopping her, she completed her oath with the “Jai Bhim” slogan. Later, when Rathod ended his oath with the “Jai Hind, Jai Maharashtra, Jai Sevalal [socio-religious reformer]” slogan, Koshyari was seen looking towards Thackeray, expressing his displeasure. An official was then sent to the ministers’ seating area to convey the Governor’s message that all ministers will stick to the text given.

However, when it was Awhad’s turn, he hailed Chhatrapati Shivaji, Dr BR Ambedkar and Mahatma Phule, after the end of his oath. Another leader from his party, Sanjay Bansode, also hailed Dr Ambedkar after he took the oath, following which the Governor waved him to stop.

On November 28 too, Koshyari had raised his displeasure over Thackeray and six other ministers invoking the names of their parents and other leaders during the oath-taking ceremony.