Raut also downplayed Samant’s letter stating that the minister has not taken a decision in the matter yet.

Shiv Sena leader and MP Sanjay Raut met the Governor at Raj Bhavan Saturday and said relations between Bhagat Singh Koshyari and Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray are “cordial”, like “father-son duo”.

While both sides have called the meeting a “courtesy visit”, Raut’s call on Koshyari comes a day after the Governor raised objections to the recommendation by Higher and Technical Education Minister Uday Samant to the University Grants Commission (UGC) to cancel the final year exams in graduate courses. Earlier, Thackeray had skipped a high-level meeting called by the Governor to review the Covid-19 situation in the state.

“The relations between the Governor and the chief minister are cordial and they have love and respect for each other. Their relationship is like a father-son duo and it will remain like that. There are no differences between the two,” Raut told mediapersons.

Raut also downplayed Samant’s letter stating that the minister has not taken a decision in the matter yet. “Samant has expressed his opinion and has not taken the decision. Governor, as a chancellor of the universities, has expressed his view. The government and concerned minister will take a decision on what the Governor is saying,” said Raut.

On Friday, the Governor wrote to Thackeray asking him to resolve the issue of conducting the final year exams without any further delay in the larger interest of students. Terming Samant’s letter as violation of UGC guidelines, the Governor had stated that he was not apprised by Samant in the matter before recommending the cancellation of final year examination to the UGC.