Mumbai, Feb 17: Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal on Tuesday issued a public apology after facing criticism over remarks that were interpreted as drawing a parallel between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Tipu Sultan.
Clarifying his position, Sapkal said he had no intention of hurting public or religious sentiments and alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party deliberately distorted a portion of his statement to create misunderstanding and communal tension through social media campaigns.
Reiterates respect for Shivaji Maharaj
Expressing regret if followers of Shivaji Maharaj felt offended, Sapkal reiterated that the Maratha king is his ideal, inspiration and symbol of pride, and stressed that the question of comparing him with any other historical figure does not arise.
He maintained that his original remarks were meant to encourage balanced, scholarly discussion on historical interpretations without triggering social conflict or polarisation along caste, religion or sectarian lines.
Meeting at Tilak Bhavan
The clarification came after a joint meeting of Congress state office-bearers and district presidents held at Tilak Bhavan in Mumbai, attended by several senior party leaders.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Sapkal appealed to citizens to ignore misinformation and maintain harmony ahead of the upcoming Shiv Jayanti celebrations.
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Accuses BJP of distortion
He also accused political opponents of resorting to threats and “low-level politics”, asserting that he would not be intimidated and would continue to challenge what he described as the BJP’s misleading narrative on the issue.
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