Mumbai will cease to be financial capital if Gujaratis, Rajasthanis are removed: Maharashtra Governor Koshyari

The Governor praised the contribution of Rajasthani-Marwari and Gujarati communities in making Mumbai the financial capital of the country

Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Governor of Maharashtra. File | Photo Credit: Vivek Bendre

Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshiyari courted fresh controversy by stating that if people belonging to Rajasthani and Gujarati communities decide to leave Mumbai, it will not remain the financial capital of the country.

Mr. Koshiyari said, “I often tell people here, that in Maharashtra, especially in Thane and Mumbai, if you ask Gujaratis and Rajasthanis to leave, no money will be left here. Mumbai will no longer be the financial capital of the country.”

The Governor was speaking at a naming ceremony of a chowk in western suburb in Mumbai.

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut tweeted in Marathi, “Soon after the BJP-sponsored Chief Minister came to power, the marathi man is getting insulted.”

He also tweeted, “In short, Maharashtra and Marathi people are beggars... Even Morarji Desai did not insult 105 Marathi martyrs like this... Chief Minister Shinde...are you listening? That your Maharashtra is different.. If you have a shred of self-respect, first ask for the Governor’s resignation..”

Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh and Sachin Sawant also tweeted the video and said that the Governor should not have made the remarks.

Previously, Mr. Koshyari, after inaugurating four new buildings in Mumbai University, had urged the Chancellor to name the international students hostel after V.D. Savarkar. However, the student organisations opposed this suggestion and demanded that the hostel be named after Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.