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Independence Day Ceremonies Snub: Shinde, Gogawale Boycott Cabinet Meet Amid Raigad & Nashik Flag-Hoisting Row
- by Webdesk
- 13 Aug 2025
Source: The Times Of India
Mumbai: One day after the Maharashtra state government excluded Shiv Sena ministers from the Independence Day flag-hoisting ceremonies in Raigad and Nashik, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and cabinet member Bharat Gogawale decided to skip the cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
Gogawale made it clear that he remained determined to become the guardian minister of Raigad district, adding that allowing NCP minister Aditi Tatkare to hoist the national flag on Independence Day did not make her the guardian minister for Raigad. Both Gogawale and Shiv Sena minister Dada Bhuse, who is in the race to be appointed as the guardian minister of Nashik, argued that since neither district currently has an official guardian minister, they themselves should have been given the opportunity to perform the flag-hoisting in Raigad and Nashik, respectively.
On Monday, the state government issued an official circular naming NCP minister Aditi Tatkare as the one to hoist the tricolour in Raigad, while BJP minister Girish Mahajan would do so in Nashik on Independence Day, which falls on Friday. This decision did not sit well with certain Shiv Sena members, who saw it as a political slight.
Party insiders revealed that both Eknath Shinde and Bharat Gogawale had informed the Chief Minister’s Office in advance that they would be absent from Tuesday’s cabinet meeting, citing that they were not in Mumbai on that day. However, their absence was widely perceived as a response to being left out of the ceremonial duties.
The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) seized the opportunity to criticise the government, accusing it of negligence in failing to appoint guardian ministers for key districts like Raigad and Nashik. MVA leaders said the situation reflected deeper issues within the ruling coalition.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut took a direct jab at Shinde, claiming that the Deputy CM had been “shown his place” and suggesting that Shinde had even lodged a complaint with Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the issue. According to Raut, the episode was indicative of tensions simmering within the state’s ruling alliance.
Speaking to reporters, Gogawale adopted a more conciliatory tone on the matter. He stated that he was ready to abide by whatever decision senior leaders ultimately made regarding the flag-hoisting duties. “We expect the senior leadership to take an appropriate call after Independence Day. It’s possible that Sunil Tatkare and Eknath Shinde discussed various state-related matters during their meeting, but I didn’t inquire about their conversation. We don’t question our leaders about where they are going or what they are doing. I have no personal objection to Aditi Tatkare hoisting the flag. Ultimately, we must respect the decisions made by our seniors,” Gogawale said.
Shiv Sena minister Uday Samant, meanwhile, attempted to de-escalate the situation, urging all political players to keep partisan disputes out of national celebrations. “Independence Day is a day of unity and pride for the country. Politics should have no place on such occasions,” he said.
The flag-hoisting ceremonies in Raigad and Nashik this year have thus become an unexpected flashpoint in Maharashtra’s political landscape, revealing internal disagreements within the ruling coalition while also giving the opposition a fresh talking point. With the absence of designated guardian ministers for both districts, the debate over who gets the symbolic honour of hoisting the national flag has taken on political significance that extends beyond ceremonial tradition.
As the Independence Day celebrations draw near, all eyes will be on whether the ruling alliance can set aside its internal tussles to present a united front on one of the most important days in the national calendar.
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