'Shiv Sena's Demands Not Worth Accepting': Amit Shah Opens Up On Maharashtra Fallout

A day after President's Rule was imposed in Maharashtra, BJP president Amit Shah spoke about the ongoing political turmoil in the state and said that all parties, including BJP, were given 18 days to form government which was never given to any other state.

Union Home Minister and BJP President Amit Shah. (File Photo/ AFP)

New Delhi: A day after President's Rule was imposed in Maharashtra, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president and Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke about the ongoing political turmoil in the state and said that all parties, including BJP, were given 18 days to form government which was never given to any other state. "Before this, in no state was so much time given, 18 days were given. Governor BS Koshyari invited parties only after assembly tenure ended," Shah said while speaking to news agency ANI. "Neither Shiv Sena nor Congress or Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) staked claim and neither we. Even if today any party has numbers it can approach Governor and prove majority to form the government," the Union Minister said. While speaking about collapse of alliance with Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, Amit Shah said,  "Before elections both Prime Minister and even I said many times in public that if our alliance wins then Devendra Fadnavis will be the Chief Minister, no one objected back then. Now they have come up with new demands which are not acceptable to us." Taking a jibe at Congress leader and senior advocate Kapil Sibal after he alleged that Governors across the country work on the direction of Centre, Shah said, "Even today if anyone has the numbers they can approach the Governor. The Governor has not denied chance to anyone. A learned lawyer like Kapil Sibal is putting forth childish arguments like we were denied a chance to form government." "The Opposition is doing politics on the issue of President's Rule in Maharashtra and I don't think its a healthy democratic practise to drag a constitutional post in such politics," he said. Watch | Amit Shah's First Reaction On Shiv Sena, Congress, NCP and President's Rule Imposed In Maharashtra Maharashtra came under the President’s Rule on Tuesday evening after President Ram Nath Kovind gave his approval for the requisite notification. The President signed the notification following the recommendation of the Union Cabinet which acted on the report from the state Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari. The Governor had recommended the imposition of President’s Rule following the political stalemate in the state over the formation of the government with BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP being unable to gather support for forming government in the state. The NCP, Congress and Shiv Sena - who seem to be headed for an unprecedented alliance are currently engaged in formal/informal talks at various levels with their respective shopping lists of demands.