Mumbai (Maharashtra): Leaders of the Opposition Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) have hit out at RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat for his remarks over Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the 17th century Maratha Warrior King.
Addressing a function in Pune on September 9, Bhagwat said, "Shivaji Maharaj fought against the British and a festival was started at Raigad and (Lokmanya) Tilak found his mausoleum. Rabindranath Tagore also wrote a poem on Shivaji Maharaj. In the south, actor Ganesan was identified as Shivaji Ganesan, as he played the role of Shivaji Maharaj."
Reacting to his statement, NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) leader Jitendra Awhad in a post on X, said, "Mohan Bhagwatji, it is not written in any page of history that the tomb of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was discovered by Tilak. As a matter of fact, there is no disagreement among historians regarding the discovery of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's mausoleum at Raigad by Mahatma Jotiba Phule."
"He found this tomb with great difficulty. Mahatma Phule was also harassed by the manuvadas there while searching for this tomb hidden in the bushes. But, in spite of these humanists, Chhatrapati Shivaraya's tomb was arranged by Mahatma Jotiba Phule alone! What you say is what we call a distortion of history," added Awhad, a former Maharashtra Minister.
Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Assembly and senior Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar also said that Bhagwat's statement was misleading.
"History says that Mahatma Phule discovered the samadhi of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. There is also evidence of that. The RSS people invent anything. The (Maharashtra) Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister say that Surat was not looted (by Shivaji Maharaj) and the historians say that Surat was looted (by him). Therefore, Mohan Bhagwat's statement is misleading."
Maharashtra Minister and NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal also differed from Mohan Bhagwat. Bhujbal told reporters, "Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's Samadhi at Raigad was discovered by Mahatma Jyotiba Phule. No one can change this history. It was only Phule who started Shiv Jayanti and this is history."
Historian Shrimant Kokate said the Samadhi of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Raigad was first discovered by Mahatma Phule in 1869.
"After that, he (Phule) wrote Powada (cultural song) on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Phule started Shiv Jayanti for the first time in the country. He stared Shiv Jayanti before Lokmanya Tilak. I appeal to Mohan Bhagwat not to distort history."
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis refused to speak on the matter. "I have not heard anybody's statement and so I will not give any reaction to it."
