Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad Threatens Publisher Over Decades-Old Book On Shivaji Maharaj

Mumbai: Shiv Sena MLA from Buldana, Sanjay Gaikwad, has sparked a controversy by allegedly threatening a Kolhapur-based publisher over a book on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj published nearly four decades ago.

Gaikwad reportedly threatened to “chop off the tongue” of Prashant Ambi, the publisher of Shivaji Kon Hota (‘Who Was Shivaji’), written by the late CPI leader Govind Pansare, who was shot dead in 2015 allegedly for challenging the concept of Hindu nation in the book. The MLA read the book after his wife bought a copy. An audio clip of the threat has gone viral on social media; Gaikwad has confirmed that the voice in the clip is his.

According to Ambi, the MLA called him around midnight, objecting to the book’s title. He alleged that Gaikwad used abusive language and threatened to storm his residence and assault him. “He said I would ‘meet Pansare’ too,” Ambi told reporters.

First published in 1988, the book remains widely read in Maharashtra and has seen 75 editions. Originally brought out by Lokvangmay Griha, Mumbai, it presents a secular interpretation of the 17th-century Maratha ruler.

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Meanwhile, BJP minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil advised Gaikwad against revisiting past controversies. The Congress criticised Gaikwad’s remarks and urged Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to order an inquiry into the threat. State Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal said the MLA “does not deserve to take Shivaji Maharaj’s name”, and demanded police protection for the publisher.

Responding to media queries, Gaikwad claimed the publisher was “arrogant” and used foul language. “I object to the disrespectful references to Shivaji Maharaj. This book should be destroyed. His tongue should be chopped off,” he said.

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