Shocked by tone of Maha Governor's letter to CM: Pawar to Modi
Mumbai: NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing shock over the kind of language used by Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari in a letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray over reopening places of worship amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
In his letter to Modi, the Rajya Sabha MP, whose party is a key ally in the Shiv Sena-led MVA government, said he was pained by the erosion of standards of conduct by the high Constitutional office of the Honourable Governor.
In the letter to the chief minister on reopening of temples, Koshyari had asked, "Have you suddenly turned secular, the term you hated?"
Pawar said the Prime Minister had given a very appropriate slogan of do gaj ki doori to curb the spread of COVID-19 and added the Maharashtra government is also planning a campaign to make people aware of the importance of social distancing.
The former Union minister referred to the huge crowds some temples in the state like that of Lord Vitthal in Pandhapur, Siddhivinayak in Mumbai, Sai Baba in Shirdi, and others, a witness on normal days.
In such places, it is almost impossible to maintain a safe distance between people. Keeping this in view, the Government of Maharashtra had decided to stagger the decision regarding opening up of places of worship, Pawar said.
The NCP patriarch said he agreed the Governor can have independent views and opinion on the sensitive issue and appreciated the latter's prerogative to convey his views to the chief minister.
However, I am shocked and surprised to see the letter of the Governor released to the media and the kind of language used in the letter, Pawar said.
The veteran politician said separately on Twitter that the kind of language used in the letter does not behoove well for a person who holds a constitutional position.
The NCP president said he is sure the prime minister, too, would have noticed the intemperate language used in the Governors letter.
Pawar said the word secular is part of the Preamble of the Constitution and it shields all religions.
Hence, the Chair of the Chief Minister must uphold such tenets of the Constitution, he said.
Unfortunately, Hon. Governors letter to the Chief Minister invokes the connotation as if written to the leader of a political party.
I firmly believe that in a democracy, the free exchange of views between the Hon. Governor and the Hon. Chief Minister must take place.
However, the tone and tenor used must always be in keeping with the stature of the constitutional post occupied by the individuals, Pawar said.
The veteran leader said that looking at the turn of events, the chief minister was left with no option but to release his reply to the Governor in the press.
Pawar said he fully endorsed the chief minister's decision on this issue.
I have not discussed this matter either with the Hon. Governor nor with the Hon. Chief Minister. However, I felt that I must share my pain with you and the public at the erosion of standards of conduct by the high Constitutional office of the Hon. Governor, Pawar told Modi.
Pawar said he enclosed with his epistle to Modi a copy of Koshyari's letter.
The NCP president also mentioned in his own communication to Modi two quotes from Koshyaris letter to Thackeray.
You have a strong votary of Hindutva. You had publicly espoused your devotion to Lord Rama by visiting Ayodhya after taking charge as the Chief Minister.
"You had visited Vitthal Rukmini Mandir in Pandharpur and performed the puja on Ashadhi Ekadashi. Wonder if you are receiving any divine premonition to keep postponing the reopening (of) the places of worship time and again or have you suddenly turned secular yourselves, the term you hated? said Koshyari to Thackeray, according to Pawar's letter.
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Man arrested with Rs 2.54-crore heroin in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): Police have arrested a man and seized over 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 2.54 crore in the illicit market from him in Mumbai, officials said on Friday.
The police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) made the drug seizure in Santacruz in the western suburbs. The operation was conducted by the Kandivali unit of the ANC on Thursday as part of a special crackdown against drug trafficking in the area, they said.
Acting on specific inputs, an ANC team conducted a raid in Santacruz (East) and intercepted a man. During a search, the team recovered 508 grams of high-grade heroin from his possession, an official said.
The seized contraband, a highly addictive, opioid drug derived from morphine, is estimated to be worth Rs 2.54 crore in the international market, he informed.
Following the seizure, a case was registered against the man under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and he was formally placed under arrest in the early hours of Friday.
The police are currently investigating the source of the drug and trying to identify the intended recipients of the consignment, he said.
