Opposition Slams Padma Bhushan Award To Former Governor Koshyari

Mumbai: The Centre’s decision to confer Padma Bhushan to former Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari created a political storm in Maharashtra as opposition parties strongly condemned the move, accusing it of killing ‘democracy and the Constitution’ in the state by toppling the MVA government led by its senior leader Uddhav Thackeray.

The Union government on Sunday announced that it would award the Padma Bhushan to former Uttarakhand chief minister Koshyari, who served as the governor of Maharashtra from September 2019 to February 2023. However, his tenure as governor was marked by many controversies.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said even the Mahayuti government, including Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Ministers Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde, should condemn the decision to award the Padma Bhushan to Koshyari, who insulted Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and reformers Mahatma Phule and Savitribai Phule.

“He (Koshyari) killed democracy and the Constitution and brought down the Uddhav Thackeray-led government to support the BJP and bring the saffron party to power,” Raut said.

Describing Koshyari as a ‘perverted person’, Maharashtra Congress chief Harshawardhan Sapkal said Koshyari violated the constitution. He added that a Padma Bhushan award was given to a person who insulted Shivaji Maharaj and Phule.

NCP (Sharad Pawar) MP Supriya Sule said she was ‘sad’ over the Centre’s decision. “Being governor is a big thing. But the comments he made about Mahatma Jyotiba Phule and Savitribai Phule while he was here were not liked by all of us. We did not like them because they were respectful names for us. I still condemn the words he used. It is sad that it is such a great honor for him.”

Koshyari’s tenure as governor of Maharashtra saw many controversies. In November 2019, he presided over a shocking oath ceremony in the wee hours of the morning, where he hurriedly administered the oath of office to Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar as Prime Minister and Deputy Chief Minister amid the BJP-Sena feud. Their government lasted only three days.

While serving as chief minister, Uddhav Thackeray criticized Koshyari for not filling 12 vacant seats in the state Vidhan Parishad against the advice of the state government.

Koshyari also slammed a comment that called Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj a ‘symbol of old times’, which sparked widespread outrage.

He is also alleged to have mocked 19th-century social reformers Savitribai and Jyotirao Phule for “marrying young”. “Savitribai was married off at the age of 10, while her husband was also 13 at that time. Now think about what girls and boys must be thinking after marriage,” he said.

Meanwhile, CM Fadnavis congratulated Koshyari on being awarded the prestigious award. “Our heartfelt congratulations to former governor of Maharashtra, Mr. Bhagat Singh Koshyari ji, on being honored with the Padma Bhushan Award 2026. His glorious journey in public life and steadfast contributions to governance and nation-building stands as an inspiration for generations,” he wrote in a post on X.