While Fadnavis had backed Aney in December 2015 when the latter spoke in public in favour of a separate Vidarbha state, highly placed sources said the government could no longer provide “safe passage” to him.
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Maharashtra Advocate General Shreehari Aney’s demand for separate Marathwada state today led to ruckus in the state Assembly which was adjourned thrice as Congress-NCP and Shiv Sena raised slogans and demanded Aney’s resignation.
Aney’s remark was criticised from all quarters.
Speaking at an event in Jalna in Marathwada on Sunday, Aney, who hails from Vidarbha, said Marathwada had borne the brunt of injustice more than Vidarbha and thus should be made a separate state.
He also encouraged the peopke of Marathwada to start a movement against the formation of a separate state.
Calling Aney “Owaisi in Maharashtra ” , Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik said, “What Aney is saying tantamounts to insult of martyrs who laid down their lives in the struggle for united Maharashtra”.
Senior Shiv Sena leader and Environment Minister Ramdas Kadam said, “The Chief Minister has to remove Aney from his post because he has indulged in treason”.
“Even the last time we demanded his resignation, but the CM supported him and today he got the courage to go a step further”.
Aney’s remark has caused a major embarrassment to the Maharashtra government.
It would be an ideal situation if Aney tenders his resignation, with the entire Opposition and also the Sena having threatened to move a resolution in both Houses Tuesday seeking his ouster.
The signatories to it include former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan of Congress, Dilip Walse Patil of NCP and SP leader Abu Azmi. He submitted his resignation to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. “As the AG, he represents the state government and should have restrained from expressing his personal views in public”. How can he speak like a political leader? Patil wanted the government to clarify its stand on the issue and take action against Aney.
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Meanwhile, another senior BJP minister claimed that Mr Aney had been asked to resign following which, he had quit.
