Days after Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari stirred up a hornet's nest by questioning if Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had turned secular, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on October 17 said Koshyari could have chosen his words better.
In an exclusive interview with Network18's Group Editor-in-chief Rahul Joshi, Shah confirmed that he had read the letter.
“Passing reference unhone diya hai, magar mujhe bhi lagta hai ki shabdon ka chayan unhone taala hota to achcha rahta (he has made a passing reference, but I also believe that he (Governor) could have avoided the selection of those particular words,” said Shah.
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Koshyari earlier this week wrote to Thackeray reminding him of his devotion for Lord Rama that resulted in the chief minister's Ayodhya visit after taking charge of the state, a trip to Vitthal Rukmini Mandir in Pandharpur and puja on Ashadhi Ekadashi Vitthal Rukmini Mandir in Pandharpur and performed the puja on Ashadhi Ekadashi.
Calling Thackeray a "strong votary of Hindutva", the governor said he had been wondering if the CM is "receiving any divine premonition to keep postponing the reopening of places of worship time and again". "Or have you turned 'secular' yourself, a term you hated?" the governor had written in his sarcastic letter.
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Koshyari's letter had come in response to Thackeray’s address in which he said the state government has decided not to open the temples amid the prevailing threat of coronavirus.
Taking strong objection to his words, Thackeray had replied to Koshyari a day later, saying he did not need lessons on Hindutva from anyone.
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