In the backdrop of the controversy stoked by recent comments of Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari and BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi about Chhatrapati Shivaji, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Sunday that the Maratha warrior king will be a hero and an idol for Maharashtra as long as the “sun and moon exist”. During a convocation ceremony of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University in Aurangabad on Saturday, Maharashtra Governor had referred to Chhatrapati Shivaji as “hero of the old times.” Trivedi, meanwhile, during a recent TV debate on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s statements that V D Savarkar had submitted mercy petitions before the British to secure his release from prison, said, “In the past, people used to tender apologies in a prescribed format to secure one’s release. Even Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj had written five letters to Aurangzeb.” Speaking on the sidelines of the valedictory function of the 71st All India Police Wrestling Cluster Championship in Pune, Fadnavis said, “One thing is very clear. Till the time there is sun and moon, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj will remain an idol for Maharashtra, for the country and for all of us. No one should have doubts about it.Different interpretations of the Governor's statement have been drawn. But I feel that he did not mean it that way.” On Trivedi's statements, Fadnavis said, “Nowhere in his statement he has said that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj had apologised.” Fadnavis who also holds the charge of the Home Department of Maharashtra said a dedicated sports training facility for the police will be set up in Pune. “In 2019, we had taken a decision to set up a dedicated sports complex for the police in Pune. But the government changed and then there was the pandemic. So, the proposal was awaiting approval. The Director General of Police has shown me the proposal and we are granting it immediate approval, which will pave the way for the establishment of a dedicated sports complex and sports hostel for the police here.”
