‘Suddenly turned secular?’ Maharashtra CM, Governor spar over reopening of worship places

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Governor B S Koshyari on Tuesday exchanged letter barbs over the re-opening of places of religious worship in the state. Koshyari in a letter to Thackeray, a day earlier, wrote about the demands from delegations that places of religious worship be re-opened, to which the Maharashtra CM said the government will consider his request considering the COVID-19 situation in the state. 

Koshyari in his letter to CM has asked, “Have you suddenly turned secular?” In response, Thackeray said, “My Hindutva does not need verification from you,” and wondered whether Hindutva meant merely re-opening the places of religious worship. 

Taking a jibe at the Maharashtra Governor, Thackeray further said, “Isn’t secularism a key component of the Constitution, by which you swore while taking oath as the state governor.”

Thackeray wrote the state government will consider his request to reopen these places. The CM said, “As imposing lockdown all of a sudden was not right, revoking it completely at once will also not be a good thing.”

“While considering the sentiments and beliefs of the people, it is also important to take care of their lives and it is wrong to impose and lift lockdown suddenly,” he said in the letter.

Thackeray also pointed out that the three letters by delegations mentioned in Koshyari’s letter mentioned were from BJP office-bearers and supporters.