Sharad Pawar urges PM Modi to install statues of Maratha warriors in Delhi’s Talkatora stadium

Pawar’s letter emphasised that Talkatora Stadium holds immense historical and cultural significance, as it was once a crucial campsite for Peshwa Bajirao I, Mahadji Shinde, and Malharrao Holkar. These three Maratha leaders played a pivotal role in expanding Maratha rule across the Indian subcontinent

Mumbai: Amid the ongoing controversy surrounding Maratha warriors and Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to facilitate the installation of statues honouring three legendary Maratha warriors at Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi.

Mumbai, India - Feb. 24, 2025:NCP chief Sharad Pawar(Pawar Faction) addressing to media during the press conference at his residence in Silver Oak, in Mumbai, India, on Monday, February 24, 2025. (Photo by Anshuman Poyrekar/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

In a letter addressed to the Prime Minister, Pawar highlighted the historical significance of the stadium and requested his intervention in securing the necessary permissions from the New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) and the Delhi government.

Pawar’s letter emphasised that Talkatora Stadium holds immense historical and cultural significance, as it was once a crucial campsite for Peshwa Bajirao I, Mahadji Shinde, and Malharrao Holkar. These three Maratha leaders played a pivotal role in expanding Maratha rule across the Indian subcontinent.

Pawar said a Pune-based NGO Sarhad had planned to install busts at the Talkatora Stadium to commemorate the warriors, but litterateurs and historians have weighed in favour of equestrian statues of the three warriors.

“As Talkatora Stadium falls under NDMC jurisdiction, I humbly request your intervention in directing the Government of Delhi and NDMC to grant the necessary permissions for installing full-sized equestrian statues,” Pawar stated in his letter.

Talkatora Stadium recently hosted the 98th Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan in February, a year after Marathi was officially recognised as a classical language by the central government. The literary convention was inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi at Vigyan Bhavan, with Pawar expressing gratitude for his participation.

Meanwhile, a fresh controversy has emerged in Maharashtra following the release of the Vicky Kaushal-starrer Chhaava, which portrays the capture, torture, and execution of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj in March 1689. In response, the Maharashtra government has announced several memorials dedicated to Maratha rulers, including Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Sambhaji Maharaj, in its 2025-26 budget. Additionally, a memorial honouring the Maratha soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice in the Third Battle of Panipat is set to be established in Panipat, Haryana.