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Updated: Apr 14, 2025 21:21 IST
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 14 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Chandrakant Patil on Monday slammed Shiv Sena UBT MP Sanjay Raut for criticising Union Home Minister Amit Shah after he reportedly called Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj by a single name and allegedly referred to Aurangzeb’s tomb as a “samadhi” (memorial).
Defending Shah, BJP leader Patil stated that Amit Shah is the first Union Home Minister to visit Raigad, adding that he is a devotee of Shivaji Maharaj and has written a 500-page book on him, which will soon be published in Pune or Delhi.
Speaking to reporters, Patil said, “I also want to talk about Sanjay Raut, who puts on his show every morning. The country’s Home Minister, Amit Shah, visited the memorial of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj on his death anniversary at Raigad. It was the 100th anniversary of the memorial’s restoration, which is why he went there. He also visited Jijamata’s memorial and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s throne. Instead of welcoming these gestures, Sanjay Raut has been talking non-stop for three days, but no one is paying attention to him.”
Taking a dig at the Shiv Sena UBT, the BJP leader claimed that Sena UBT wants to be inducted in power, but Mahayuti is not inducting them.
“Sanjay Raut Ji, political rivalry is fine, but this is a moment when the country’s Home Minister visited Raigad for the first time. I know that Indira Gandhi, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru have also visited, but this is the first time the Home Minister has come. Amit Bhai Shah is a devotee of Shivaji Maharaj and has written a 500-page book on him. He has studied Shivaji Maharaj extensively. The only thing left is to release the book in Delhi or Pune. Despite this, you commented on Amit Shah. You are not in power, you want to come to power but (we are) not taking you in power,” he added.
On Sunday, Shiv Sena UBT leader Sanjay Raut accused Home Minister Shah of disrespecting Shivaji Maharaj by not addressing him with due honour. He also criticized the supposed reference to Aurangzeb’s tomb as a “samadhi.”
Raut had said, “The thing is that for the last 3 months, these people have taken up the program of digging up Aurangzeb’s grave. They will dig it up, they will not keep the grave. This word is Shivaji Maharaj was a warrior, this grave is a living example of his war, but these people did nothing. Yesterday, he was given the status of Samadhi, which we call a grave. Yesterday, he was given the status of Samadhi by the country’s Home Minister Amit Shah. This is Aurangzeb’s Samadhi. Why are you creating riots in the country? If this is Samadhi, then it is Aurangzeb’s Samadhi. What has started in Maharashtra for the last 3 months? You are the people who are creating riots in Maharashtra. The most mess has happened in Maharashtra and the Chief Minister and Home Ministry have been the biggest support to those who are creating riots. And secondly, if you watch Amit Shah’s speech, then every time he says Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. But yesterday, in the entire speech, he addressed him as Shivaji only. This is an insult. A case should be filed against him for this insult. Devendra Ji should order Raigad Police Station to do so.”
Patil further alleged that Sena UBT is facing defections, claiming that several leaders are leaving their party, and in the upcoming days, they might even lack candidates, not just in Mumbai but also in other cities.
“People from your party are leaving every day. By the time the municipal elections come, you’ll have to go door-to-door asking people to become candidates. Your leaders are leaving the party. Five corporators from Pune have joined the BJP. In Mumbai, 57 sitting corporators have left you and joined Eknath Shinde. Instead of focusing on these issues, you’re paying attention to what Amit Bhai said about the memorial. If Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena do not convince Devendra Ji, Eknath Shinde, and Ajit Pawar, along with the higher leadership (whether to take them or not is not my subject), then in the upcoming municipal elections, they won’t even have candidates left in Mumbai. Does this mean they are after us, or do we not want to take them? I’m just stating my opinion and making a prediction. Leaders from their party will keep leaving daily. Forget Pune and Kolhapur; they’ll even struggle to find candidates in Mumbai.”
Patil further denied any rifts in the ruling Mahayuti, stating that there are no disturbances in the alliance.
He said, “Even in a family of four people with the same blood, conflicts arise. Here, we have people from different backgrounds–Ajit Pawar comes from one background, Eknath Shinde from another, and Devendra Ji from yet another. Despite this, if there are no disturbances, you might need to check if they’re alive or not. If there’s a sound, it means they’re alive and expressing themselves. If they don’t express themselves, they might fall ill, so they have to express.”
Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited Raigad on Saturday. He praised Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, saying that he was a child who, with his indomitable courage and determination, gave the mantra of Swaraj to the entire country.
Shah also paid humble tributes to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj on his 345th death anniversary. His visit also comes during the centenary celebration of the renovation of the Shivajiraje’s mausoleum. (ANI)