Mumbai: The book published by Delhi unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Jai Bhagwan Goel has sparked a major political controversy. Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Shiv Sena (SS) has jumped on the book titled, ‘Aaj Ke Shivaji – Narendra Modi’ (‘Today’s Shivaji – Narendra Modi) claiming it to be insult to the great Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
The book is now being used by the ruling alliance for settling political score in Maharashtra against the backdrop of the Ajay Devgn starrer Tanhaji. All and sundry from the ruling alliance are criticizing BJP for the book.
While it has given ammunition to the ruling alliance in the state to attack BJP, the later too has unleashed counter attack citing instances when the parties in ruling alliance insulted Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
Interestingly, in a bid to attack BJP, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut dragged the descendants of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the controversy and asked if they approved of the insulting comparison. In return, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray got an earful from Chhatrapati Sambhaji Raje.
Speaking to The News 21, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Raje said, “I was the first person to react to it. I said what I wanted to say. We never used the name of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj for political mileage or any other gain for that matter. Who is Sanjay Raut to drag us in the controversy for his cheap politics. No one can be compared with Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. He was one of his kind. I have high regards for Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well. He has achieved a lot on his own.”
Reacting to NCP MLA Prakash Gajbhiye dressed like Shivaji Maharaj bowing to Ramraje Nimbalkar, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Raje said, “It is completely unacceptable. Anyone dressed like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, should not bow to anyone. “On the contrary, when we come across anyone dressed like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, we get up from seat and bow to that person,” Sambhaji Raje said.
Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe, who lodged a police complaint against the book at Nagpur, alleged that, it was an attempt to establish Modi as great as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the history. When asked about title ‘Janta Raja’ (title often used to refer Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj) used for NCP leader Sharad Pawar, Londhe tried to justify it saying, “It is a different matter when followers and admirers bestow such titles on their leaders. But we have strong objection to documentation of image glorification of someone like Narendra Modi.” He said that Congress party had also objected to Prakash Gajbhiye bowing to Nimbalkar. “Since it happened on the premises of the House, we registered our objection with Ramraje Nimbalkar,” Londhe said.
Shiv Sena spokesperson Manisha Kayande said, “We have registered our strong objection to the book and comparison of Narendra Modi with Chhatrpati Shivaji Maharaj. We hope that the government bans the book.” Responding to Prakash Gajbhiye bowing to Nimbalkar, Kayande shrugged it off as his innovative way to raise issues of public good.”
BJP leader Madhu Chavhan came down heavily on the ruling alliance. “It is nothing but hypocrisy of Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena. They don’t have objection to Sharad Pawar being called Janta Raja and being depicted as Chhatrapati Shivaji in a political cartoon,” Chavhan said.
The man, 60 years old Jai Bhagwan Goel, a former Shiv Sainik for well over 32 years has had a checkered history of stoking controversies. Controversies and Jai Bhagwan Goel are nothing new. He had led his Sena supporters in digging up the Ferozshah Kotla stadium cricket pitch in New Delhi on January 5, 1999 so as to prevent the India-Pakistan cricket match from being played there.
Goel courted controversy in 2002 over conversion of two boys from the minority community against the wishes of their mother. From 1982 to 2008 for 26 years he was the visible face of the Shiv Sena in North India, especially in New Delhi. He headed the Sena Punjab district unit from 1982 to 1987; thereafter, he was made the Delhi Sena chief from 1988 to 1990 and Sena chief for the North-East and Delhi from 1990 to 2008.
In 2008, he quit the Sena citing opposition to frequent attacks on the North Indian community in Mumbai. Goel joined the BJP in February 2014 ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. The past has once again caught up with Jai Bhagwan Goel at a time when Assembly elections for New Delhi have just been announced.
