Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and member of Parliament Udayanraje Bhosale, who has been keeping a low profile since the Assembly polls, has become vocal again.
This time, the proposed garbage depot at Vadhu-Tulapur, where the samadhi (tomb) of Chhatrapati Sambhajiraje's is
situated, has given him an opportunity to attack the NCP leadership. Sambhaji was the son of Maratha warrior king, Shivaji. Bhosale is Shivaji's 13th descendant.
On Friday, Bhosale, along with several Maratha outfits including the Maratha Sewa Sangh, the Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Pratishthan, the Sambhaji Brigade and other young Marathas, visited Vadhu-Tulapur, 40 km from Pune.
This visit was provoked by a move by the district administration to shift the Pune civic body's garbage depot from Urali Devechi to Vadhu-Tulapur.
"Why don't they use that land to dump the garbage?" Bhosale asked at the public gathering at Loni-Kand. He was referring to land owned by NCP chief Sharad Pawar and his family.
The residents of Urali Devachi had protested against the government and the Pune civic body, demanding that the garbage depot be shifted.
They ended their agitation after the administration proposed to shift the depot to Vadhu-Tulapur.
{{/usCountry}}They ended their agitation after the administration proposed to shift the depot to Vadhu-Tulapur.
{{/usCountry}}Vadhu-Tulapur is located on the banks of the confluence of three rivers — Bhima, Bhama and Indrayani — that is considered sacred by Hindus. Bhosale warned that any attempt to set up a garbage depot at Vadhu-Tulapur will be opposed to protect the sanctity of the place.
"It is unfortunate that the leaders have forgotten the sacrifice of Sambhaji Maharaj but Maharashtra has not forgotten it. The government has no right to destroy the lives of the people living in the 40 villages dependent on the three rivers," Bhosale said.