The Opposition Congress on Friday upped the ante and demanded an apology from Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena’s sitting MP Sanjay S Mandlik who is seeking re-election from Kolhapur in western Maharashtra, for questioning the royal credentials of the Opposition MVA-Congress candidate Chhatrapati Shrimant Shahu Maharaj.
A day after Mandlik questioned Chhatrapati’s ancestry and claimed that his rival was actually ‘an adopted royal’, local Congress leader and MLA Satej D Patil, alias Bunty came down heavily on the Shinde Shiv Sena candidate for his utterances and rooted for his apology.
“He (Mandlik) has insulted the descendants of the legendary Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj through such a comment. He must tender an apology to the people of Kolhapur and also the Chhatrapati’s family members,” Patil said.
Incidentally, Chhatrapati Shrimant Shahu Maharaj is the 12th direct descendent of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Seventy-six year-old
Chhatrapati Shrimant Shahu is the grandson of the great reformer, Chhatrapati Rajarshi Shahu Maharaj, a democrat and an associate of late Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.
At an election rally held on Thursday, Mandlik wondered whether the Maharajas (Chhatrapati) were actually from Kolhapur. “They (Chhatrapatis) are not the true heirs, but are adopted ones... It is “the people of Kolhapur” who are the genuine legacy holders,” he had said.
On his part, Mandlik rejected the Congress’ demand for his apology and said that he had not shown any disrespect or cast aspersions on the Chhatrapati Shrimant Shahu Maharaj.
“What I meant was that this Chhatrapati is not from Kolhapur, since he was adopted. He is an outsider. I have the highest regard for the Chhatrapati. Why should I tender any apology?,” Mandlik asked.In no mood to accept the accept the explanation given by Mandlik, Patil demanded to know from the Shinde Sena candidate as to “who has given him the ‘script’ to read out” “Why he is suddenly remembering the Chhatrapati’s royal lineage and that too after six-long decades?,” he asked.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said that the people of Maharashtra “will not forgive or forget” the slur by Mandlik on the Chhatrapati who is a revered personality, and the 12th direct descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut also hit out at Mandlik for “insulting” Chhatrapati. “The people of Maharashtra will not forgive or forget the insult heaped by Mandlik on the Chhatrapati who is a revered personality. Chhatrapati Shrimant Shahu is the direct descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj,” Raut said.
Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) President Prakash Ambedkar, who is the grandson of late B R Ambedkar, said: “The whole world has accepted Chhatrapati and his family So it’s not appropriate to comment on the Chhatrapati’s family”.
“Adoption in royal families is not new… Many have become kings/rulers in this way in the past. For, once they are adopted, they become the rightful representative of that royal lineage. Chhatrapati Shrimant Shahu Maharaj is a highly revered figure in the public minds,” NCP chief Sharad Pawar said.
Pawar said that Shrimant Shahu Maharaj was following in the footsteps of his illustrious predecessor Chhatrapati Rajarshi Shahu Maharaj, and had built several educational institutions for which the people all over the state were indebted to him.
The NCP chief said that Mandlik’s remarks against Chhatrapati reflected the Shinde Sena’s desperation and how low level its leaders and candidates could stoop to win the elections. “Mandlik’s comments against Chhatrapati show their mentality towards the Opposition candidates,” he said.
“Mandlik has blatantly insulted the royal dynasty of the Kolhapur Chhatrapati, whose immense contributions to the people of the state and country cannot be underplayed or compared with anybody,” Congress’ spokesperson Atul Londe said.
Senior BJP leader Pravin Darekar sought to defend Mandlik by saying: “He may not have intended to belittle the Chhatrapati who is a very respected person. I have a reason to believe that it might have been a slip of the tongue”.
