Actor Rahul Solapurkar Resigns As Bhandarkar Institute Trustee After Controversial Remarks On Shivaji Maharaj's Agra Escape

Actor Rahul Solapurkar who is facing flak over his remarks about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's 1666 escape from Agra has resigned as a trustee of the city-based Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute (BORI).

Authorities at the BORI, in a press release on Thursday, said his resignation was accepted.

Solapurkar, who has appeared in several Marathi films, stated in a podcast recently that Shivaji Maharaj, the iconic 17th century warrior king, escaped from Agra Fort by bribing Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb's officials, and not by concealing himself in a basket of sweets as per the popular account.

After a video of his statement went viral, Maratha outfits in the city staged a protest outside the BORI on Tuesday, demanding that the institute ask him to resign as a trustee.

Solapurkar later said he regretted using the word "bribe" and hurting the sentiments of those who revere Chhatrapati Shivaji.

While BJP MP Udayanraje Bhosale, a descendant of the Maratha king, said those who make such remarks should be shot, Suresh Dhas, an MLA of his party, said people should thrash Solapurkar wherever they see him.

In 1666, Shivaji Maharaj and his son Sambhaji escaped from the Agra Fort where they had been confined after a stormy visit to the Mughal court.

The BORI, a globally renowned research institute, receives funds from the Maharashtra government.