MUMBAI: Maharashtra MLA Sanjay Gaikwad, who belongs to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s camp, has warned that they may have to rethink about their alliance with the BJP in Maharashtra if the party and Maharashtra governor continue to denigrate Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj through their statements.
Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari had earlier called Chhatrapati Shivaji a hero of olden times and Nitin Gadkari a modern-era hero. BJP’s national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi had also said that Shivaji Maharaj had sought Aurangzeb’s apology five times, so VD Savarkar’s mercy petitions were also part of tactics to get out of jail.
Responding to the statements, Gaikwad said that BJP and its leaders should restrain themselves from making such comments. He said that Shivaji Maharaj never extended an apology to Aurangzeb and did not even bow at the Mughal ruler’s palace in Agra. “He never filed mercy petitions like other leaders. BJP leaders and governors should think twice before making any statement about Shivaji Maharaj. Henceforth, we will not tolerate such comments.”
“We have apprised the senior leadership of BJP about the insult to Shivaji Maharaj. The controversial statements will have an adverse impact on our alliance with the BJP and one day, we may have to rethink about it,” he added.
BJP Rajya Sabha MP Udayan Raje Bhosale, who is a descendant of Shivaji Maharaj, said that both Koshyari and BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi, should be removed from their post. “Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari should be removed immediately. We will not tolerate anything against Shivaji Maharaj,” he said.