Maharashtra: NCP To Observe 'Traitors' Day' Today To Mark One Year Of Eknath Shinde-Led Shiv Sena Rebellion

Bhagat Singh Koshyari, who was the Governor during the Shiv Sena rebellion that resulted in the fall of the Uddhav Thackeray government, faces accusations of partisan behaviour, favouring the BJP.

File photo of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders Jayant Patil (left), Uddhav Thackeray (centre), and Ajit Pawar. ( Image Source :PTI )

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) will observe June 20 as "Gaddar Day" (Traitors' Day) to mark the first anniversary of the rebellion within the Shiv Sena. Led by Eknath Shinde, the revolt resulted in the collapse of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in June 2022. The MVA coalition consists of the Shiv Sena, the NCP, and the Congress.

Jayant Patil, the state chief of the NCP, has called upon party cadres to protest against the rebel Shiv Sena MLAs. Patil urged NCP workers to stage demonstrations across the state, symbolically displaying "khoke" (boxes of money) that allegedly facilitated the rise to power of the Eknath Shinde government, reported news agency PTI. He emphasized that the Shinde camp, that was allotted the party name and the bow & arrow symbol by the Election Commission, will soon lose its temporary joy and its days in the government are numbered.

Previously, the Sharad Pawar-led NCP held public meetings to explain the Supreme Court verdict on the political crisis in Maharashtra. They discussed how Speaker Rahul Narvekar is obligated to disqualify the 16 rebel MLAs.

The Supreme Court last month ruled that the then Maharashtra Governor, Bhagat Singh Koshyari, was unjustified in asking former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to prove a majority in the Assembly on June 30, 2022. However, the court also stated that it cannot reinstate the Thackeray government, as he resigned without facing a floor test.

On June 20, 2022, Eknath Shinde and some MLAs from Shiv Sena (undivided) gathered at a hotel in Surat following the Maharashtra Legislative Council polls, where the BJP won a fifth seat despite lacking sufficient numbers in the Assembly. Shinde became untraceable after the Council poll results, and it later emerged that he was staying at the hotel with party MLAs. The number of MLAs supporting Shinde increased, and they were eventually flown to Guwahati.

Shinde and the other MLAs returned to Mumbai on June 29 after Uddhav Thackeray resigned as Chief Minister without facing the floor test. It was later revealed that Shinde had the support of 39 out of 56 MLAs from Shiv Sena, which is led by Uddhav Thackeray. Shinde took oath as Chief Minister on June 30, with Devendra Fadnavis of the BJP becoming his deputy.

'WRITE TO UN TO DECLARE JUNE 20 WORLD TRAITOR DAY'

The Shiv Sena (UBT) on Monday made a jibe at former Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari by suggesting that he write to the United Nations to declare June 20, the day the rebellion led by Eknath Shinde began, as "World Traitor Day".

Koshyari, who was the governor during the Shiv Sena rebellion and the subsequent split in the party that led to the fall of the government, has faced accusations of partisan behaviour, favouring the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition.

The Supreme Court, while hearing petitions on the disqualification of rebel Shiv Sena MLAs, also criticized Koshyari's role in the events that led to the formation of the Shinde government with the support of the BJP.

Ambadas Danve, the Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Council, penned a sarcastic letter to Koshyari, urging him to approach the UN to declare June 20 as "World Traitor Day". Danve mentioned that Shinde's decision had allegedly garnered attention from 32 to 33 countries, suggesting that if there is significant global interest, the day should be officially recognised. He told Koshyari to pursue the matter with the UN through the BJP-led central government.

Danve further accused Koshyari of constantly harassing the Uddhav Thackeray government to facilitate defections from the Shiv Sena. Koshyari, a BJP leader and former chief minister of Uttarakhand, served as the governor of Maharashtra from September 5, 2019, to February 17, 2023, and was succeeded by Ramesh Bais.