Three descendants of Shivaji condemn Koshyari’s remarks; Shinde camp MLA warns BJP of break-up

Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari’s controversial remarks on Chhatrapati Shivaji have not only put him in a corner but isolated the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), especially after three descendants of the Maratha King joined the offensive against him

Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari’s controversial remarks on Chhatrapati Shivaji have not only put him in a corner but isolated the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), especially after three descendants of the Maratha King joined the offensive against him.

Mumbai, India - November 21, 2022: Police detain Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) workers as they stage a protest against Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari over his controversial remarks on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, outside CSMT station, in Mumbai, India, on Monday, November 21, 2022. (Photo by Bhushan Koyande/HT Photo) (HT PHOTO)

On Monday, Udayanraje Bhonsale said Koshyari should be recalled while Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati, a direct descendant, sought his apology. Shivendrasinh Bhonsle expressed unhappiness over what he called the attempts to get public attention. Interestingly, the three leaders are associated with the BJP.

Going one step further, an MLA from the Eknath Shinde camp warned the BJP of a split in the alliance if insults to Shivaji continued.

“Shivaji dared Aurangzeb [Mughal emperor] in his own darbar at Agra and never apologised to anyone in his life. From now on, everyone from the BJP - be it Sudhanshu Trivedi [national spokesperson] or Koshyari – should exercise caution while speaking about Shivaji Maharaj,” Sanjay Gaikwad, a legislator from Buldhana district, said.

Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule seems to be on defensive mode though he made it clear that no one should make a statement that would hurt Shivaji’s image or his history.

“He [Koshyari] is holding a constitutional position and doesn’t belong to any party at present even though he is from the BJP. This is the reason my party has been targeted for the last two days,” he told reporters outside Sahyadri guest house.

Meanwhile, workers of the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) staged protests at several places for the second consecutive day. While Sena held an agitation at Girgaon, the NCP tried to take a morcha from CSMT to Raj Bhavan but were stopped by the police.

At a convocation ceremony in Aurangabad on Saturday, Koshyari referred to Shivaji as a “hero of the past era” while hailing Dr BR Ambedkar and union minister Nitin Gadkari as “present heroes”. “When we were in school, teachers would ask us about our favourite leaders and we would name Subhash Chandra Bose, Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru. In Maharashtra, if somebody asks you this question, you need not to go out as Maharashtra is full of such tall leaders. Shivaji has become the hero of the past era. You can find the present heroes right here from Dr BR Ambedkar to Nitin Gadkari.”

On the same day, Trivedi, while defending Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar over his clemency petitions, said the people used to write mercy petitions in a prescribed format to come out of jail at the time (pre-independence period). “Shivaji Maharaj wrote five letters to Aurangzeb. What does that mean?” he said on a televised debate.

Udayanraje, BJP Rajya Sabha MP, said Koshyari doesn’t deserve to be in the position of Governor. “He has become old and doesn’t understand what he is saying. He has to be thrown out of Raj Bhavan. He should be sent to an old-age home.”

Such comments by those on important and responsible positions are incorrect, Shivendrasinh said. “It sends a wrong signal in society and creates tension. The attempts to get some focus by taking Shivaji Maharaj’s name needs to be stopped,” the BJP MLA from Satara said.

Sambhajiraje, who is a former Rajya Sabha member from BJP quota, questioned deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis for defending his party colleagues.

“Trivedi must apologise to the people of Maharashtra. I could not understand why Fadnavis is defending both of them. Instead, he should focus on ensuring that Trivedi will tender an apology,” he said, adding, “The governor should be sent out from Maharashtra. Let PM [Narendra Modi] decide where he wants him to be sent.”

On Sunday, Fadnavis said Shivaji Maharaj is the biggest ideal in the country and the governor believes in it while Trivedi has not used any disparaging words against the Maratha King.