Don't need lessons on Hindutva: Raut on Guv's letter

Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari should only see whether Maharashtra is being run as per the Constitution or not and there is a people-elected government in place to look after rest of the things, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said on Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters in Mumbai in the wake of Koshyari writing to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on reopening places of worship and the latter's response to the same, Raut said the Shiv Sena's Hindutva is firm and based on strong foundation and they don't need lessons on it.

Latching on to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remark that the threat of COVID-19 still persists, Raut said in view of the health concern, it is Thackeray's responsibility to take care of people's safety, and the governor should have rather appreciated the chief minister for doing so diligently.

In his letter to the CM, Koshyari mentioned that he has received three representations from delegations demanding that places of religious worship be reopened.

'Have you suddenly turned secular?' Koshyari asked in his letter to the chief minister.

Raut said, "Koshyari is the constitutional head of the state. He has to see whether the state is being run as per the Constitution or not. And there is a people-elected government for the rest of the things. It (the government) takes decisions."

Referring to reports of Chinese aggression along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh, Raut said it is not for the chief ministers of states, but the President, Prime Minister, Defence Minister or Army Chief to speak about what the Army should do in such cases.

Similarly, it is the people-elected government, chief minister and ministerial council in Maharashtra which will decide how to unlock the state and facilitate people considering the prevalent COVID-19 crisis, Raut said.

"So, nobody should have a question in mind about whether one is Hindutvavadi or not. It only needs to be seen whether the government is being run as per the Constitution or not," the Rajya Sabha member said, without naming Koshyari.

Raut said besides being the chief minister, Thackeray is the president of Shiv Sena and son of late Bal Thackeray, who had 'propagated Hindutva in the country'.

"Hence, Uddhav Thackeray or us need not take lessons on Hindutva. Our Hindutvais firm and based on a strong foundation," he said.

Referring to Prime Minister Modi's remark that 'COVID-19 threat still persists', Raut said it means that it is the responsibility of the chief minister to take care of health and safety of the people.

"And the governor should have rather appreciated the chief minister for discharging the responsibility diligently. But someone writes to him and Hindutva is questioned," he said.

To a query on Koshyari asking Thackeray whether the chief minister has turned secular, Raut counter questioned whether Koshyari is not secular.

The Shiv Sena leader said the governor had taken the oath of the post remembering the secular Constitution.

Raut said people like him, 'who are friends of the Governor', will visit the latter to clear the illusion if he is receiving wrong information on the issue.

The Shiv Sena leader also said the chief ministers reply to the letter by the Governor is a 'historic' document.

Thackeray has set an ideal example by giving reply succinctly and humbly, observing limits of the Constitution and Hindutva, to the governor who 'interfered in the work of chief minister'.