Union Home Minister and senior BJP leader Amit Shah’s recent rally in Shirala, Sangli district, Maharashtra, has sparked a political and academic debate following his remarks linking the revered saint Ramdas to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
Shah stated, “This (Maharashtra) is the land where the feet of Samarth Ramdas Maharaj touched,” and asserted that Ramdas united the youth in support of Shivaji Maharaj during colonial rule.
Shah’s portrayal has faced strong criticism from several political leaders, especially within the Maratha community. Shambhajiraje Chhatrapati, a prominent member of the Maratha royal family and former Rajya Sabha MP, voiced his disagreement, asserting that Shivaji Maharaj’s only true guru was his mother, Jijau Maasaheb.
He emphasised her profound influence on Shivaji’s life, underscoring that this should be recognised in any historical context. While he acknowledged that both Shivaji Maharaj and Sant Ramdas hold significant places in Indian history, Chhatrapati argued that it was inappropriate to imply a direct connection between the two as Shah suggested.
Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole also criticised Shah, asserting that BJP-RSS is attempting to distort history by linking Shivaji Maharaj to Ramdas.
“Shivaji Maharaj was a great leader, and no one can match him; therefore, BJP should stop comparing him to anyone. BJP should not insult our icons,” Patole said.
Historian Indrajeet Sawant supported this criticism, stating that historical records lack any reference to Shivaji Maharaj meeting or receiving assistance from Ramdas.
“BJP-RSS is portraying distorted history because that suits them, but it is not linked to reality,” Sawant commented.
Shah, however, shifted his focus to the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections, asserting that the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance would face defeat, similar to Congress’s loss in Haryana.
He alleged that Uddhav Thackeray, leader of Shiv Sena (UBT), is aiming to make his son Aaditya Thackeray the chief minister, while Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar wants the same role for his daughter, Supriya Sule.
“If MVA comes to power in Maharashtra by mistake, Uddhav Thackeray wants to make his son the chief minister, (Sharad) Pawar Saheb wants the post for his daughter, and there are a dozen leaders in Congress who have already stitched clothes to become the CM,” said Shah.
Claiming that the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance would emerge victorious, Shah added, “These MVA people had purchased crackers worth crores of rupees, thinking they would win Haryana, but in most places, they gave their crackers to BJP workers. In Haryana, Congress was wiped out. Similarly, the Aghadi will be wiped out in Maharashtra, and BJP will form a government.”
Shah urged voters to place their trust in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for Maharashtra’s progress.
“This government, under the leadership of Narendra Modi and Devendra Fadnavis, will be built on the trust that the people of Maharashtra have placed in them, and the NDA will come to power here,” he stated.
