BJP MP Udayanraje Bhosale paying respects to Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj on 336th death anniversary at Vadu Budruk in Pune district.
STATING that it was Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj who gave the call for ”sarva dharma sambhav” (secularism),” BJP MP Udayanraje Bhosale Saturday urged the PM Modi-led government to hold a special session of Parliament and enact a law against hurling insults at national icons like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. He added if a special session was not called, it would “mean they desire for the insults to be heaped on the Maratha warrior kings”.
”If they (the Centre) do not want to convene the special session, it would mean they want, from the bottom of their heart, that the insults be heaped upon Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj… And then people should show them their place,” said Udayanraje, the direct descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, after paying respects at the Samadhi of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj on his 336th death anniversary at Vadu Budruk in Pune district Saturday.
You’ve Read Your Free Stories For Now
Sign up and keep reading more stories that matter to you.
When approached for comment, Udayanraje told The Indian Express, “I have not criticised the central government. I have placed the facts before the people… I hope the government will convene a special session to enact alaw to stop the repeated insults at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.”
Responding to Udayanraje’s attack on the government, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, “Chhatrapti Shivaji Maharaj is our deity. We will do everything possible to keep his honour. Udayanraje has every right to ask the government questions. His only demand is we shoud take strict action against those who insult Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. And we will do that.”
Fadnavis added his government will take action against those who demand proof from descendants of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The CM was indirectly referring to a demand made by Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Sanjay Raut a couple of years ago.
“The political parties mouth words like pillar of strength, yugpurush, mahapurush for Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, but not a single rupee has been spent to set up an international-level memorial for Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj… Till date, a government-approved history of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj has not been published. Because of this, people take liberty through cinema and writing and spread wrong history… The censor board should have historians which will help avoid cause bitterness in society after a film is released,” the BJP MP said.
Udayanraje said it was Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj who brought forth the idea of secularim. “It is ‘sarva dharma sambhav’ which will keep the country united. It is ‘sarva dharma sambhav’ which will take the country on the path of secularism. And that is why India will emerge as the super power… Shivaji Maharaj brought people of all religions together. It was Shivaji Maharaj who brought forth the idea of people’s participation in governance. It means Shivaji Maharaj laid the foundation of democracy.”
Story continues below this ad
While questioning how long should insults towards national icons be tolerated, Udayanraje said, “We have not seen God. But in the form of Shivaji Maharaj, our ancestors got the opportunity to see God. Shivaji Maharaj was a yugpurush and the same yugpurush is now being targeted, made fun of and is being repeatedly insulted. Cheap remarks are being made against our national icons. How long are we going to tolerate such insults ? There are laws to protect the image of national icons born after Shivaji Maharaj. However, despite call from different quarters, including myself, a law has not been enacted to stop the insults being heaped on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Rajmata Jijau and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. To make a law, there is no need for budgetory provision.”
Udayanraje said he need not make the same demand over and again. ”Don’t they understand ? Are they kids ? Insulting statements are disturbing peace and leading to violence. Can’t they see when the insults are hurled ? Violence take place, people lose their lives. Who is responsbile for this ? If they don’t pass the law, they all be responsbile for whatever happens.
The BJP MP said he has already informed Home Minister Amit Shah about the need to convene a special session. “But these are not things that need to be told. All this should come from the bottom the heart. Like the MCOCA Act and the Atrocity Act, who is stopping them from making a similar law ? The law should stipulate strict punishment like for 10 years on those who insult Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj… but such a law has not been passed,” he said.
Udayanraje said political parties have also been demanding such a law. “The political parties say Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is our diety. Then, why did they not pitch for a law? Do they feel like Shivaji Maharaj should be insulted? I don’t think they feel so… But they should show their intention through their action by getting a law enacted.”
Story continues below this ad
Udayanraje said those who keep Aurangzeb’s photo on their WhatsApp status, they should be sent to other countries. “He (Aurangzeb) does not deserved to be glorified,” Udayanraje said.
Manoj More has been working with the Indian Express since 1992. For the first 16 years, he worked on the desk, edited stories, made pages, wrote special stories and handled The Indian Express edition. In 31 years of his career, he has regularly written stories on a range of topics, primarily on civic issues like state of roads, choked drains, garbage problems, inadequate transport facilities and the like. He has also written aggressively on local gondaism. He has primarily written civic stories from Pimpri-Chinchwad, Khadki, Maval and some parts of Pune. He has also covered stories from Kolhapur, Satara, Solapur, Sangli, Ahmednagar and Latur. He has had maximum impact stories from Pimpri-Chinchwad industrial city which he has covered extensively for the last three decades.
Manoj More has written over 20,000 stories. 10,000 of which are byline stories. Most of the stories pertain to civic issues and political ones. The biggest achievement of his career is getting a nearly two kilometre road done on Pune-Mumbai highway in Khadki in 2006. He wrote stories on the state of roads since 1997. In 10 years, nearly 200 two-wheeler riders had died in accidents due to the pathetic state of the road. The local cantonment board could not get the road redone as it lacked funds. The then PMC commissioner Pravin Pardeshi took the initiative, went out of his way and made the Khadki road by spending Rs 23 crore from JNNURM Funds. In the next 10 years after the road was made by the PMC, less than 10 citizens had died, effectively saving more than 100 lives.
Manoj More's campaign against tree cutting on Pune-Mumbai highway in 1999 and Pune-Nashik highway in 2004 saved 2000 trees.
During Covid, over 50 doctors were asked to pay Rs 30 lakh each for getting a job with PCMC. The PCMC administration alerted Manoj More who did a story on the subject, asking then corporators how much money they demanded....The story worked as doctors got the job without paying a single paisa.
Manoj More has also covered the "Latur drought" situation in 2015 when a "Latur water train" created quite a buzz in Maharashtra. He also covered the Malin tragedy where over 150 villagers had died.
Manoj More is on Facebook with 4.9k followers (Manoj More), on twitter manojmore91982 ... Read More
