Pune: Amid a political storm that has erupted in Maharashtra over book comparing Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, BJP leader Chhatrapati Udayanraje Bhosale on Tuesday hit out at Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, stating that Shiv Sena should be called 'Thackeray Sena' as it uses the name of Maharaj as per the need.
The book, titled 'Aaj ke Shivaji: Narendra Modi' is written by BJP leader Jay Bhagwan Goyal.
Showing a poster of Maharashtra Chief Uddhav Thackeray at Shiv Sena's party office, a descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Bhosale said in a press conference, "If Shiv Sena respects Maharaj then they should not have kept Thackeray's poster above Maharaj's sculpture." Taking jibe at Maha Vikas Aghadi led by Shiv Sena-NCP and Congress, he said, "Shiv Sena has removed Shiva from Maha Shiva Aghadi... This is because the party uses the name of Maharaj as per its needs." "I am telling you that your time is over. Stop calling yourself Shiv Sena, instead, you should call yourself 'Thackeray Sena'. People of Maharashtra are not fools," he added The BJP leader said that he did not pay any money to the writer to write the said book. "I never misused the name of Chhatrapati," he said.
Book row:Cong hits back at Udayanraje, dubs him 'Ajanata Raja'
Mumbai: Terming BJP leader Udayanraje Bhosale as "Ajanata Raja", Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant on Tuesday hit back at Chhatrapati Shivaji's descendant, saying people of the state do not take criticism by him seriously.
Bhosale made the critical comments at the behest of BJP, Sawant said, adding that it was not yet clear why he joined the saffron party, which allegedly committed a "scam" in the Shivaji Maharaj memorial work and "insulted" the warrior king by comparing him with Modi.
"Bhosale is an 'Ajanata Raja' (a king who does not know anything about his subjects)...Mavalas (foot soldiers of Shivaji) like us have proceeded on the path shown by Shivaji Maharaj in a true sense," Sawant said.
Shivaji Maharaj is hailed as the "Janata Raja" (king who knows everything about his subjects and understands them).
The NCP on Tuesday lashed out at Udayanraje Bhosale for not speaking against the ruling party at the Centre amid a controversy over the book.
Hitting out at Bhosale, NCP chief spokesperson Nawab Malik said, "Udayanraje has no option but to surrender before the BJP after joining that party. He did not condemn Goyal nor did he speak against the BJP."
Referring to Bhosale's 'Janata Raja' remark, Malik claimed the phrase was never used for Pawar.
Malik also said Union minister Prakash Javadekar's statement that Goyal had apologised and withdrawn the book was not enough. The author himself should make such a statement, he demanded.
