- The remarks were made by Congress Maharashtra President Harshwardhan Sapkal
- Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis condemned the comparison and demanded an apology
- Sapkal stuck to his guns and asserted that Shivaji is the Congress' pride
Maharashtra Congress President Harshwardhan Sapkal has sparked a controversy by comparing Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Tipu Sultan. His remarks were slammed by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who termed them condemnable and sought an apology.
Speaking to reporters on Saturday regarding the controversy over a portrait of Tipu Sultan in the office of Malegaon Municipal Corporation deputy mayor Shan-e-Hind Nihal Ahmed, which was opposed by the Shiv Sena and some groups, Sapkal said in Marathi that the Mysore ruler had followed Shivaji's ideals.
"The kind of bravery that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj possessed, and the concept of 'Swarajya' (self-rule) that he introduced... much later, following in that very tradition and taking inspiration from his ideals, Tipu Sultan waged war against the British," Sapkal said.
"In that sense, Tipu Sultan was a great warrior who displayed immense bravery and was a true son of India. He never allowed any poisonous or communal ideas to sway him. As a symbol of bravery, we should view Tipu Sultan as equivalent to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj," the Congress leader added.
Tipu Sultan, the 18th-century ruler of the kingdom of Mysore, has increasingly become a polarising figure. Many praise him for taking on the British, while others claim he ill-treated Hindus.
Trashing Sapkal's remarks, Fadnavis said he should feel "ashamed".
"Maharashtra will not tolerate this. Sapkal should apologise for comparing Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Tipu Sultan. The Congress should take note and its allies must also clear their stand on the statement," the Maharashtra chief minister said.
Sticking to his guns, Sapkal took to X later in the day and asserted that Shivaji is the Congress' pride, and Tipu Sultan had been inspired by him. He also accused the Sangh Parivar, of which the BJP is a part, of siding with the British during the Independence movement.
"Therefore, Devendra Fadnavis should not teach us history," he said.
Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe also accused the BJP of trying to divert attention from issues that matter.
"The Congress strongly condemns the attempt by the BJP leadership to divert public attention from governance-related issues by fuelling religious polarisation," he said.
(With inputs from PTI)
