To counter issue of Shivaji statue collapse, Maha Yuti rakes up Nehru's writings on Maratha icon

Mumbai: Countering the Maha Vikas Aghadi broadside, the BJP sought an apology from Congress for the writings of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, who in The Discovery of India, had described Chhatrapati Shivaji as having “looted” Surat.

Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who calls the shots in the Maha Yuti dispensation, along with state BJP President Chandrashekhar Bawankule, led the charge from the ruling side.

The BJP leadership described the agitation as “political” and held protests across the state on Sunday.

“Be it either the Congress or the Maha Vikas Aghadi, they have never respected Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj,” he said and described the opposition agitation as completely political.

“Nehru, in his book, The Discovery of India, has insulted Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj…even years after Independence, the same Congress taught us that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj looted Surat. He never looted Surat. People of Surat erected a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj there. Will Congress apologise for it?,” asked Fadnavis.

Bawankule pointed out that despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi tendering an apology, the opposition has continued politicising the issue.

“The MVA is trying to spread anarchy in the state ahead of the Assembly polls," Bawankule alleged.

“However, if they still want to politicise the issue, we can cite at least 25 incidents where the Congress and opposition insulted Shivaji Maharaj,” he said.

People will beat them with shoes: Eknath Shinde

Rattled by the Maha Vikas Aghadi protest, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said that people will beat the opposition alliance in the forthcoming Maharashtra Legislative Assembly polls. “Shivaji Maharaj cannot be a matter of politics...it is a matter of faith and identity for us,” said Shinde, the chief leader of the Shiv Sena. “Doing politics on it is a sad thing and the opposition is doing politics on this,” said Shinde. “People of Maharashtra are wise, they are seeing this. In the coming elections, people will beat them with shoes," he said.

Unfortunate that MVA is politicising the issue: NCP

The Ajit Pawar-led NCP described the protests by Maha Vikas Aghadi on the issue of the collapse of the statue of Shivaji Maharaj as 'unfortunate'

“Politics over it is unfortunate,” said state NCP President Sunil Tatkare. “It is unfortunate that the incident took place, but Maha Vikas Aghadi is politicizing this. It is inappropriate. The Prime Minister, Chief Minister and both Deputy Chief Ministers have apologised. So I don't think it is right to politicise it," he said.