NANDED/MUMBAI: The Congress and a BJP MP in Maharashtra on Tuesday separately demanded a ban on a new book written by senior journalist Girish Kuber alleging that it contains objectionable passages against the 17th Century king Chhatrapati Sambhaji, son of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, and his stepmother Soyrabai.
State Congress president Nana Patole said Kuber should apologize over the contents of his new book titled "Renaissance State: The Unwritten Story of the Making of Maharashtra".
"Kuber's book contains some objectionable remarks against Chhatrapati Sambhajiraje and his stepmother Soyrabai. It is another attempt at character assassination. The book should be banned in the state and the entire country, and Kuber should apologize for his remarks," Patole told reporters.
Calling it a "serious issue", Patole wondered whether Kuber wanted to increase the sale of his book by making controversial statements against the highly revered icons of Marathi people.
"The government should take cognizance and immediately ban the book," he said.
The Congress is one of the constituents in the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.
Kuber is editor of Marathi daily Loksatta.
Speaking to reporters in Nanded, BJP Rajya Sabha MP Sambhaji Chhatrapati said, 'the book should be banned by the state government in Maharashtra and the entire country".
Speaking on the Maratha quota, which was recently struck down by the Supreme Court, the BJP MP said the community should know about the government's future course of action.
He said the ruling and Opposition parties should keep their rivalry aside in the larger interest of Marathas and announce their next plan of action.
"As far as my personal opinion is concerned, Marathas should be given a separate reservation without disturbing the existing quota of OBCs," he demanded.