A major political row has erupted in the state following Harshwardhan Sapkal`s alleged remarks on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Tipu Sultan, with the Shiv Sena (UBT) hitting out at Maharashtra Congress chief and accusing the BJP of giving the row a communal colour.
Amid the controversy, the Shiv Sena (UBT) on Monday said that by equating Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj with Tipu Sultan, Sapkal had unnecessarily handed the BJP a political issue, reported PTI.
In an editorial in the party`s mouthpiece Saamana, the Shiv Sena (UBT) said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), as always, has given a Hindu-Muslim colour to the Shivaji-Tipu row.
Tipu Sultan is considered a hero in Pakistan, but the BJP does not find it condemnable to allow an India-Pakistan cricket match, the editorial further claimed, reported PTI.
What happened
A controversy erupted on Saturday over a portrait of the 18th-century Mysuru ruler Tipu Sultan in the office of Malegaon Municipal Corporation Deputy Mayor Shan-e-Hind Nihal Ahmed, which Shiv Sena corporators and Hindu outfits opposed.
While pointing to the valour of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the way he presented the idea of ‘Swarajya’, Sapkal cited Tipu Sultan’s call for battle against the British and claimed that this ideal was articulated along similar lines.
“It is condemnable to compare Tipu Sultan with Chhatrapati Shivrai,” the Saamana editorial said, reported PTI.
“By equating Tipu Sultan with Chhatrapati Shivaji, Harshwardhan Sapkal has unnecessarily given an issue to the BJP,” it added.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) said the BJP has honoured Tipu Sultan several times in the past and has now dug up his grave for its own benefit, only to fall into it.
It claimed the ruling party had even proposed naming a road after the Mysuru ruler.
Shinde reacts to growing controversy
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde echoed the sentiments of the Sena (UBT) and said Chhatrapati Shivaji and Tipu Sultan cannot be equated.
“Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is the deity of Maharashtra, and we work according to his principles. I condemn those who are trying to equate Chhatrapati Shivaji and Tipu Sultan,” Shinde told PTI.
Some are trying to engage in vote-bank politics through this issue and create a divide in society, he said, adding that the state government will try to ensure law and order is maintained.
(With PTI inputs)
