Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai
Mumbai, Feb 16: A fresh political controversy has erupted in Maharashtra after state Congress president Harshvardhan Sapkal compared Tipu Sultan with Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
Sapkal reportedly stated that just as Shivaji Maharaj displayed valour and propagated the idea of Swarajya, Tipu Sultan too carried out comparable work and therefore deserved to be placed on par with the Maratha king. His remarks triggered sharp reactions across the state, with the BJP adopting an aggressive stance.
The statement has sparked a political flashpoint between the Maha Vikas Aghadi and the ruling Mahayuti alliance, drawing strong reactions from various quarters.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut has now weighed in on the issue. Speaking to reporters, Raut took a swipe at the BJP, advising the party to “check its own historical record” regarding the stand it had taken on Tipu Sultan in the past.
Raut alleged that the BJP does not raise issues concerning the public, workers, students or salaried employees. Referring to a recent metro bridge collapse in Mumbai in which people lost their lives, he claimed it was a result of the ruling party’s “sins” and questioned whether the BJP had raised concerns over national issues, including former US President Donald Trump’s policies.
He accused the BJP of attempting to create communal tensions by repeatedly raising Hindu-Muslim issues to mislead the public.
‘No need for statewide agitation’
Raut also referred to the recent controversy in Malegaon Municipal Corporation, where a photograph of Tipu Sultan had been displayed. After objections were raised, the photograph was removed. He said the matter could have ended there, but the BJP chose to launch protests across Maharashtra, which he termed unnecessary.
“Maharashtra belongs to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The BJP does not need to remind us of that. Certain facts are recorded in history, and even the BJP cannot change them,” Raut said, reiterating that the party should review its own past positions on Tipu Sultan.
He further claimed that in Karnataka, when Ramnath Kovind visited the state during his tenure as President, he had praised Tipu Sultan as a national figure. Raut questioned why there was no objection at that time. He also alleged that when the BJP was in power in several municipal corporations, projects were launched in Tipu Sultan’s name with the support of local leaders.
Raut urged the BJP not to escalate the issue unnecessarily, noting that there are no elections scheduled in the next two to three years. “Do not defame Maharashtra. What is recorded in history will remain as it is,” he said.