NCP chief Sharad PawarIN A continuation of the war of words between Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari and senior leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), NCP chief Sharad Pawar took a swipe at the governor over his recently published coffee table book titled Janrajyapal, saying such a term did not exist in the Constitution and pointed out that his recent “advice” to the chief minister on secularism was missing from the publication.
The coffee table book, titled Janrajyapal: Bhagat Singh Koshyari, has been published by the Maharashtra Governor’s Secretariat on the anniversary of Koshyari’s first year in office. A copy of the book was sent to senior political leaders of the state.
In a letter written to the governor while thanking him for sending the book, Pawar was at his acerbic best. “I thank the government for sending me this coffee table book with a beautiful print of such a title, which sheds light on our limited period of one year, even though there is no mention of janrajyapal in the actual Indian Constitution,” Pawar’s letter read.
Earlier this month, Koshyari wrote to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray over the delay in reopening places of worship, shut due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and sought to know if he had “turned secular”.
Pawar, in his letter, took a swipe at the governor over this letter and his advice on secularism. “The book doesn’t have information about your advice to the chief minister on secularism, which was taken note of by the Union home minister,” Pawar said in the letter.
Soon after the governor’s letter, Pawar had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi objecting to the language used by the governor in his letter to the CM.
Home Minister Amit Shah had later said the governor could have avoided certain words. After Shah’s remarks, Pawar had said anybody with self-respect would not continue in the post, alluding to Koshyari.