Sena MLA threatens publisher of Govind Pansare’s ‘Who Was Shivaji?’ for omitting honorifics

Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad threatens publisher Prashant Ambi over a book title on Shivaji, prompting police involvement and political backlash.

MUMBAI: Buldhana’s Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad is once again in the midst of a controversy for threatening to physically attack Kolhapur-based publisher Prashant Ambi for publishing a book on Hindu king Chhatrapati Shivaji without honorifics in the title. The audio clip of this has gone viral, with Gaikwad heard threatening to barge into Ambi’s house, thrash him and pull out his tongue. He is also heard asking Ambi if he is a Brahmin.

Sena MLA threatens publisher of Govind Pansare’s ‘Who Was Shivaji?’ for omitting honorifics

The insistence on both honorifics, the prefix Chhatrapati and suffix Maharaj, is a political imposition by Hindutva parties in the last few years. Ambi, who is the publisher of the Marathi book Shivaji Kon Hota? (Who Was Shivaji?) written by CPI leader Govind Pansare, pointed out to Gaikwad that the book was first published in 1988 and the title was the author’s but was issued more threats. Pansare himself was shot dead by alleged Hindutva assailants 11 years ago. Ambi has already informed Rajarampuri police in Kolhapur about Gaikwad’s threats and is set to register an FIR.

Gaikwad is known for his violent, abusive behaviour. Last year, he slapped and punched a worker at the Akashwani MLA canteen in Mumbai for serving allegedly bad food. He was issued a warning by his party chief Eknath Shinde but no action was taken against him. Some years ago, he had asked a policeman to wash his car.

Speaking to the media, Ambi said that Gaikwad had a nine-minute conversation with him at 12.51 am on Wednesday. The publisher circulated the audio clip to the media, in which Gaikwad was heard telling Ambi that he would be thrashed and his tongue slashed. When Ambi told him that the title was Pansare’s, Gaikwad reminded him of what happened to Pansare and said he too would be sent there. “I don’t care about such threats and I have informed the police,” said Ambi.

A few people in Kolhapur, in an agitation on Thursday, attempted to burn Gaikwad’s effigy but were stopped by the police.

Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe said that Gaikwad’s business was to make political use of Chhatrapati Shivaji’s name without caring about or following the principles of the great king. State Congress president Harshawardhan Sakpal said that the Sena MLA had taken a contract to defame Buldhana. NCP SP MP Supriya Sule said, “It is a crime to threaten someone like this. The chief minister is also the home minister, and he must give protection to Ambi.”