Maharashtra AG Shrihari Aney resigns over ‘Marathwada statehood’ remark
Maharashtra top legal officer Shreehari Aney submitted his resignation on 22/03/2016 morning to Governor Vidyasagar Rao.
• Mr Aney, was asked to step down after a furore in the state assembly over his controversial speech where he advocated separate statehood for Maharashtra's backward region of Marathwada.
• The advocate general is the top legal officer who advises the government and defends the state in courts.
• Government was struggling to defend him.
• Mr Aney had made another controversial comment by backing the demand for statehood for Vidarbha.
• Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had backed him.
• Aney had been handpicked by Fadnavis for the coveted post last year.
• Aney said he decided to step down as he reckoned Budget Session failure could prove detrimental for the government.
• Making it clear that he was not asked by the chief minister or the governor to resign, Aney cited two reasons — “conflict of duty and institutional stability”.