‘Trying to create rift’: Sharad Pawar questions demand to name Pune railway station after Bajirao I

BJP Rajya Sabha MP Medha Kulkarni had recently sought that the Pune railway station be named after Thorle Bajirao Peshwa I.

The NCP(SP) chief Sharad Pawar said there was no reason to raise the issue now. “Some people only try to create a rift between different communities without any reason,” he added. (Source: PTI)

NCP-SP chief Sharad Pawar on Friday waded into the debate over naming Pune railway station, saying that people were unnecessarily creating a rift among communities by raising the issue.

Pawar was speaking in the backdrop of BJP Rajya Sabha MP Medha Kulkarni’s recent demand that the railway station be named after Thorle Bajirao Peshwa I. Also known as Bajirao I, Thorle Bajirao Peshwa was appointed the ‘peshwa’ or chief minister of the Maratha confederacy from 1720 to 1740 during the reign of Chhatrapati Shahu.

However, Kulkarni’s demand led to protests from Maratha organisations and Opposition parties.

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“There was no reason to create a dispute by raising the issue now. I have not understood why there is an urge to give the name of Bajirao Peshwe. If bravery is the criterion, there are many names. Maratha king Sambhaji was known for his bravery and sacrifice,” Pawar said in Kolhapur.

The NCP(SP) chief said there was no reason to raise the issue now. “Some people only try to create a rift between different communities without any reason,” he added.

Kulkarni had requested that the Indian Railways give the Peshwa’s name to Pune railway station, citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s stand on highlighting local history in the name and planning of railway stations. The leader had never lost a battle, and such a great figure deserves the honour, she had said.

However, city NCP (SP) chief Prashant Jagtap had opposed the demand, saying many historical leaders could be considered for the same honour. Meanwhile, NCP(SP) spokesperson and former city mayor Ankush Kakade said that the Pune railway station should be named after social reformer Jyotirao Phule or political and social leader Gopalkrishna Gokhale, considered to be the mentor of Mahatma Gandhi.

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A leader of the Maratha organisation Sambhaji Brigade, Santosh Shinde, also said that the organisations and political parties should oppose the move to name Pune railway station after Bajirao Peshwe, and suggested the names of Jyotirao Phule and Savitribai Phule instead.

Shiv Sena (UBT) workers in Pune had also put up flex boards against Kulkarni, following which the police had registered a case against unidentified persons.

Ajay Jadhav

Ajay Jadhav is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, Pune. He writes on Infrastructure, Politics, Civic issues, Sustainable Development and related stuff. He is a trekker and a sports enthusiast. Ajay has written research articles on the Conservancy staff that created a nationwide impact in framing policy to improve the condition of workers handling waste. Ajay has been consistently writing on politics and infrastructure. He brought to light the lack of basic infrastructure of school and hospital in the hometown of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde even as two private helipads were developed by the leader who mostly commutes from Mumbai to Satara in helicopter. Ajay has been reporting on sustainable development initiatives that protects the environment while ensuring infrastructure development. ... Read More

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