Maharashtra Advocate General Resigns Amid Remarks Over Separate Marathwada

Maharashtra Advocate General Shreehari Aney today resigned amid a row over his remarks about a separate Marathwada state.

Advocate General Aney drove to Raj Bhavan this morning and handed over his resignation to Governor C Vidyasagar Rao, an official said.

"Shreehari Aney has submitted his resignation to the Governor. Whether to accept it or not, is his (Governor's) prerogative," an official from the Governor's office said. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is expected to make a statement on the issue in the state Legislature today.

Mr Fadnavis had asked Advocate General Aney to put in his papers, a senior minister said.

The move comes after the AG stoked a controversy by advocating separate statehood for the Marathwada region. He had earlier sparked a similar row by calling for a referendum on a separate Vidarabha state.

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Mr Fadnavis spoke with Advocate General Aney yesterday and asked him to tender his resignation.

Advocate General Aney met the CM at his official residence 'Varsha' last evening.

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With even BJP's ally Shiv Sena joining the strident protests against Advocate General Aney in both Houses of Legislature, the CM was left with little choice, the minister said.

As principal law adviser, AG's responsibility is to represent the state government before the judiciary.

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At an event in Jalna district of Marathwada on Sunday, Advocate General Aney had said, "Marathwada bore more injustice than Vidarbha and should therefore be independent. Pressure has to be put at the Delhi level to form a separate state as the demand does not come under the purview of Mumbai."

The opposition parties and Shiv Sena yesterday moved separate motions in the Assembly seeking Advocate General Aney's dismissal. Sena has refused to participate in Cabinet meetings until Advocate General Aney is sacked.

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"Aney had earlier asked for a separate Vidarbha," Sena leader Ramdas Kadam said, adding the party also wants Advocate General booked for sedition.