Senior BJP leader and former Union minister Narayan Rane on Monday waded into the ongoing controversy surrounding the Maratha King Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, stating that the revered warrior had indeed looted Surat. Rane’s remarks were made during a media interaction at the BJP headquarters in Mumbai, responding to a question about historical accounts.
"I am not a historian," Rane said, "But from whatever I have read, heard, and known from historian Babasaheb Purandare, 'Shivaji Maharaj ni Surat la loot keli' (Shivaji Maharaj had looted Surat)", as quoted by Indian Express
Rane’s statement came just a day after Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis criticised Congress for spreading what he termed as "false propaganda" against Shivaji. Fadnavis had asserted, "Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj never looted Surat," further alleging that former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had misrepresented Shivaji Maharaj in his book Discovery of India, portraying him as a looter. Fadnavis accused the post-Independence Congress of deliberately misinforming the public by teaching that Shivaji looted Surat, while the reality was that he plundered the treasury from those he believed were rightful targets for the cause of 'swarajya' and the nation’s welfare.
Historical records do indicate that Shivaji Maharaj attacked and looted Surat twice, in 1664 and 1670, when it was an economically prosperous city and a key port for the Mughal Empire, Indian Express' report stated.
The controversy has gained further traction following the collapse of a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji in Malvan, Sindhudurg district, which has led to a political blame game between the ruling party and the opposition. Rane criticised the opposition, particularly targeting Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sharad Pawar, for not appealing for peace, accusing them of politicising the statue collapse ahead of elections.
"The opposition is politicising the Shivaji statue collapse keeping elections in mind, which is unfortunate. A senior leader of Sharad Pawar’s stature should have come out and appealed for peace. But it is evident that the opposition is trying to use the incident to vitiate the atmosphere," Rane stated.
Rane also took serious exception to remarks made by Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray, who had asked Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to "get out of the country." Rane questioned Thackeray’s authority, saying, "What right does he have to make such a remark? Is he the President of India or the Prime Minister? Had I been the CM, I would have ensured stern action against Thackeray."
The collapse of the Shivaji statue has also sparked tensions between Shiv Sena (UBT) and Rane’s supporters in Malvan, as per the report. However, Rane downplayed the skirmishes, asserting that there was no violence or clashes, and that the police should have managed the situation better by allowing political parties to visit the site one after another.
Narayan Rane On Nitesh Rane's Controversial Speech
On Monday, Narayan Rane also responded to row around his son Nitesh Rane's threatening speech where he is purportedly heard saying, "if anyone says anything against Ramgiri Maharaj, We will enter your mosques and hit you one by one. Keep this in mind".
Narayan Rane stated that he reprimanded his son and asked him not to drag any religion into the matter. "There is no need to drag any religion but only those who are guilty of it. Not all Muslims are guilty of this, so don't drag the entire community. I have reprimanded him," Narayan Rane said, as quoted by news agency PTI.
Nitesh Rane is facing two separate FIRs under the jurisdictions of Srirampur and Topkhana police stations in the Ahmednagar district over his provocative speech.