PM Modi, Amit Shah pay tributes to Shivaji on his birth anniversary

Prime Minister Modi in a tweet shared a video highlighting the influence the Maratha king has had on generations of Indians.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah and several leaders from Maharashtra paid their respects to Maratha king Shivaji on his birth anniversary on Friday. Shivaji’s birth anniversary, Shiv Jayanti, is celebrated with zeal in the western state where the 17th-century ruler is a huge cultural and historical icon.

Artist retouch with colour to Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj's statue (Anshuman Poyrekar/Hindustan Times)

Prime Minister Modi in a tweet shared a video highlighting the influence the Maratha king has had on generations of Indians. He paid tribute to Shivaji, saying that the Maratha king’s exemplary courage will light the way for Indians for generations to come. PM Modi said, “I pay my respects to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the immortal son of Mother Bharati, on his birth anniversary. The saga of his indomitable courage, amazing valor and extraordinary intelligence will continue to inspire the countrymen for ages. Jai Shivaji!”

Union home minister Shah lauded Maharashtra’s largest cultural icon by thanking him for introducing the culture of public welfare services in the nation. In his tweet, Shah also said that Shivaji showed how to implement good governance in a state. He said, “Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, a vibrant symbol of nationalism, established good governance with his unique intelligence, amazing courage and excellent administrative skills. With his foresight, he built a strong navy and also initiated several public welfare policies. My deepest respects to one of our greatest national heroes.”

Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshiyari on Friday paid his respects to the Maratha king by felicitating his statue in Mumbai. The Nationalist Congress Party's (NCP's) chief Sharad Pawar also tweeted in memory of the Maratha warrior king, saying that the ruler was instrumental in ‘awaken(ing) self-esteem in the minds of the people’ and also said that he worked towards establishing a government that cared for its ‘peasants’. “Birthday greetings to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the public welfare ruler who awakened self-esteem in the minds of the people and made the concept of ryot state a reality. Happy Shiv Jayanti to all!" Pawar's tweet loosely translated from Marathi read.

Shiv Sena lawmaker Sanjay Raut tweeted an illustration of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj while paying tribute to him on his birth anniversary.

Shivaji was born on February 19, 1630, on the Shivneri fort in Pune district and people from across the state, as well as other parts of the nation, gather there and other forts in large numbers on the midnight of February 18 every year. The Maharashtra government has requested citizens of the state to celebrate the warrior king’s birth anniversary following the social distancing protocols advised due to the Covid-19 pandemic.