Maharashtra governor halts joint address, walks out of assembly in a huff

The first day of the Maharashtra legislature's budget session on Thursday witnessed unprecedented chaos as Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari left the Central Hall of Vidhan Bhavan without completing his address to the joint session of both the Houses amid slogan-shouting by legislators.

As soon as the governor arrived on stage in the Central Hall, legislators of the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA, comprising the Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress party and Congress) shouted slogans against Koshyari and in praise of Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. 

State NCP president and Water Resources Minister Jayant Patil claimed the MVA legislators shouted slogans hailing Shivaji Maharaj, while the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party raised "low level" slogans, which the governor could not tolerate and left without waiting for the national anthem.

On the other side, BJP chief whip Ashish Shelar blamed the MVA for the governor's speech ending abruptly.

The BJP has been demanding the removal of state Minority Affairs Minister Nawab Malik from his post following his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate last week in  connection with a money laundering probe linked to the activities of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim and his aides.     

"Our only demand inside and outside the legislature is that minister Nawab Malik, who has been accused of links with (fugitive gangster) Dawood Ibrahim's associates, be asked to quit the ministry. We will not budge from the demand. It is the government's responsibility to ensure smooth conduct of the proceedings," Shelar said.

Leader of Opposition in the state assembly Devendra Fadnavis claimed it is for the first time in the state's history that a state cabinet minister has been arrested over links with the associates of Dawood Ibrahim, who is accused of masterminding the serial bomb blasts in Mumbai in 1993.

He said when the governor came to deliver his speech on behalf of the government, the BJP wanted to know why the speech of a government, which is in favour of Dawood Ibrahim, be heard.

"Why is Malik being protected? Is this government committed to Dawood Ibrahim? Under whose pressure is the government working?" Fadnavis asked.

The former CM also said the BJP was firm on its demand of Malik's resignation.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray should break his silence over the entire Nawab Malik episode, he said.

Fadnavis also alleged that the MVA has insulted Governor Koshyari.

However, state Congress president Nana Patole criticised the governor over some of his recent remarks on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, and said he should apologise.       

The governor had during a programme in Aurangabad underlined the role of the guru (teacher) while citing the examples of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Chandragupta Maurya.       

”Many chakravartis (emperors), maharajas took birth 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),” he had said.

Meanwhile, on the first day of the budget session, supplementary demands were tabled in the state legislative assembly. 

Tributes were also paid to some prominent people who died recently, including legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar, noted industrialist Rahul Bajaj, former state minister N D Patil, and former legislators Gajanan Babar and Vishwas Patil.