Wardha, February 16 Maharashtra Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal has claimed that the BJP is criticizing his statement about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Tipu Sultan, as it wants to divert people's attention from basic issues and also the contents of the Epstein files.
Sapkal is under fire from the ruling BJP for equating Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the 18th-century Mysuru ruler Tipu Sultan. He made the controversial remark while responding to media queries in Buldhana about the portrait of Tipu Sultan in the office of Malegaon deputy mayor Shan-e-Hind Nihal Ahmed and the opposition to it by Shiv Sena and some Hindu organizations.
Speaking to reporters in Wardha on Sunday, Sapkal said he had already clarified his earlier statement, but the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wants to create mischief.
"The BJP is spreading misinformation regarding my statement. I want to humbly and with equal pride tell them here that they do not need to teach us about Shivaji Maharaj," he said.
"The founder of Hindavi Swarajya, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, is the pride, honor, and glory of Maharashtra and our Congress. His bravery is unparalleled, and because of his bravery, Hindavi Swarajya was established, and the inspiration of that Swarajya directly reaches our Constitution," Sapkal added.
The Congress leader maintained that his earlier statement was about Tipu Sultan, following the Swarajya ideal of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in his fight against the British.
"However, the statement being promoted is BJP's mischief," Sapkal alleged, adding that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had criticized him for the remarks about Tipu Sultan but remained silent when he (CM) was compared to Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.
"The meaning of all this is clear. They (BJP) want to divert attention from basic issues of Maharashtra and from the Epstein files, in which a lot is hidden. Bringing caste and religion into every matter is the BJP's old tactic. They are using my responsible statement and giving it a Hindu-Muslim angle," Sapkal charged.
He claimed the BJP had used images of Tipu Sultan across Maharashtra during their campaigns, but was now carrying out protests, including plans to burn his effigy.
Will the BJP also burn the effigy of Hindutva ideologue VD Savarkar who made wrong statements about Chhatrapati Shivaji and that of former governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari for distorted remarks against the warrior king, Sapkal questioned.
Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant also criticized the BJP, accusing it of "double standards" and pursuing a polarization agenda.
He cited several instances to claim that BJP leaders had earlier supported or endorsed references to Tipu Sultan in public spaces and official forums.
Sawant referred to resolutions in civic bodies in Akola and Mumbai, as well as past instances where BJP leaders had allegedly praised or associated with the historical figure, to argue that the party's current opposition was politically motivated.
