MVA protest march: There can be no compromise on Maharashtra's self respect and pride, says Uddhav Thackeray

In a show of strength the opposition in Maharashtra Maha Vikas Aghadi MVA took out a Halla Bol protest march in Mumbai on Saturday against the Eknath ShindeBJP government in the state and emphatically demanded removal of Governor B S Koshyari for passing insulting remarks against iconic personalities including Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj reported the PTISenior leaders of the three MVA allies Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray Nationalist Congress Party NCP and Congress shared the stage after the protest march where NCP chief Sharad Pawar said if the governor was not removed a lesson would be taught while Uddhav Thackeray warned that there can be no compromise on the states self respect and pride as per the PTIFormer chief minister Uddhav Thackeray accused the Shinde government of being ideologically bankruptOne minister Chandrakant Patil says Phule and Ambedkar begged to collect funds to start schools while another minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha likens Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharajs great escape from Agra to Eknath Shindes rebellion and backstabbing he said according to the PTIShinde had led a rebellion against the Shiv Sena leadership in June this year which led to the collapse of the Thackerayled MVA government in the stateI dont consider Koshyari as governor The post of a governor is a respectable one I reiterate my demand that a criteria be decided on selection of a governor Thackeray saidThere can be no compromise on the states self respect and pride Thackeray added reported the PTINCP leader Ajit Pawar demanded a strict law to ensure that dignity of national icons is protectedThe protest march began from near J J Hospital in Byculla around noon and ended at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus CSMT a distance of around 4 km where the MVA leaders addressed a rallyIn Photos MVA allies take out protest march against Maharashtra governmentSpeaking at an event last month governor Koshyari had dubbed Shivaji Maharaj an icon of olden times The remark sparked outrage from both the descendants of the Maratha king and the opposition parties Earlier this year he had also passed alleged derogatory remarks against social reformers Mahatma Phule and Savitribai PhuleSpeaking at the Halla Bol protest rally Sharad Pawar said The governor should be immediately removed for insulting Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Mahatma PhuleHe also said that the ideologies of the three MVA partners may be different but there was a need to be together to protect Maharashtras self respectIf the governor is not removed we will have to take steps to teach them a lesson he addedThe former Union minister said a competition was on not for the states progress and development but to malign itMaharashtra cabinet minister Chandrakant Patil says B R Ambedkar Mahatma Phule begged to start schoolsSuch an insult cannot be tolerated We have to be united irrespective of our political ideologies to safeguard the states prestige If the governor is not removed we have to take steps to decide our future action he saidOn the ongoing MaharashtraKarnataka border row he said the unfulfilled dream of Samyukta Maharashtra about the inclusion of Belagavi Karwar Nipani and other villages into Maharashtra has to be achievedLeader of Opposition in the state Assembly Ajit Pawar said the governor should be removed to save MaharashtraHe demanded that a strict law be enacted to protect the dignity of national iconsOn the border row he said Never before villages from Maharashtra openly spoke about breaking away from the state Why is this happeningThe former deputy chief minister stressed the need to stay united and said this protest march was the first step in that direction as the MVAs aim was to protect the integrity of the statePrice rise unemployment are on the rise and the government is turning a blind eye to these problems he chargedState Congress president Nana Patole said the march was a signal that the state was unitedShiv Sena UBT leader Sanjay Raut said the governor had no right to stay in office even for a minuteAlso Read Maha morcha Traffic Police issues list of road closures alternate routesThis march is a signal that governor Koshyari is dismissed The Shinde government will not last till February 2023 The morcha is a the first step to dislodge the Shinde led government he saidA large number of workers of the MVA partners took part in the protest march Uddhav Thackerays wife Rashmi Thackeray and younger son Tejas also joined the foot march The Samajwadi Party Communist Party of India Marxist Peasants and Workers Party PWP and other parties also participatedMeanwhile Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis ridiculed Raut for his claim and said he had dislodged the MVA government right under the nose of its leadersWhat are you saying that our government will not last It will and Shinde will remain the CM We will fight the next elections together he saidwith PTI inputs