Congress' Long-Standing Disregard For Maharashtra, Citizens Claim

The relationship between Maharashtra and Delhi remained strained until 2014, like oil and water. Throughout the periods of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj, the Peshwas, Yashwantrao Chavan, and Sharad Pawar, Delhi has always looked down upon Maharashtra.

Consequently, the leadership in Delhi has consistently tried to chain Maharashtra's rulers, binding them to their control.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Mahatma Jyotiba Phule, Shahu Maharaj, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, and Vinayak Damodar Savarkar provided deep ideological thoughts to the nation. However, whenever these thoughts contradicted the Congress party's ideology or ecosystem, the Congress party, which ruled for seventy years, made every effort to suppress and crush them. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj serves as a prime example of this.

Nehru's Disrespect Towards Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj

Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru is celebrated as one of India's most popular prime ministers. He authored a monumental book called Discovery of India, in which he portrayed Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in a manner that reflected Congress's ideological stance. In his book, Nehru described Shivaji as "a misguided patriot." When this sparked outrage in Maharashtra, Nehru tried to calm the situation by erecting a statue of Shivaji in Maharashtra, with Nehru's admirer Yashwantrao Chavan at the forefront, helping to pacify public anger.

Opposition to Ambedkar and Savarkar

The Congress party played a pivotal role in twice defeating Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, the architect of India's constitution, in the Lok Sabha elections. Similarly, Congress could never digest the personality and philosophy of Swatantryaveer Savarkar. As a result, disrespecting Savarkar became a key principle for Congress. Even today, leaders like Rahul Gandhi from the fourth generation of Congress continue to demean Savarkar.

Maharashtra has always been a land of strong ideologies, and Congress has constantly feared that Maharashtra would destroy its dynastic thinking. Thus, the Congress party has always maintained a policy of undermining Maharashtra's ideologies.

Insult to Maharashtra's Pride

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj symbolizes the pride of Maharashtra, and Congress is fully aware of this. Hence, Congress has consistently followed a policy of deliberately disrespecting this symbol. For instance, the Congress government in Madhya Pradesh disgracefully removed a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. In Karnataka's Bagalkot, a similar statue was taken down by the state government, and Congress openly opposed the installation of a Shivaji statue in Mangaluru. Even when Karnataka Congress minister Satish Jarkiholi made derogatory remarks about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Congress took no action against him. Moreover, it's well-known who opposed the idea of Mumbai being part of Maharashtra.

Traitors of Maharashtra

While Karnataka is a neighboring state, Maharashtra also has its share of traitors against Shivaji Maharaj. A former chief minister once said Nehru was greater than Shivaji Maharaj, and numerous Congress chief ministers have echoed this sentiment. Leaders from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), such as Jitendra Awhad, who came from Congress, made highly offensive remarks against the descendants of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, including Chhatrapati Sambhaji Raje.

When Sambhaji Raje Chhatrapati demanded the removal of encroachments on Vishalgad fort, Awhad sided with the encroachers and questioned Sambhaji Raje's legitimacy. Awhad made the derogatory statement, "Sambhaji Raje's blood should be tested." He also questioned, "If Aurangzeb and Afzal Khan had not been there, how would Shivaji Maharaj's legacy have been established?" Even more absurdly, he said, "If Shivaji Maharaj is great, it is only because of Afzal Khan and Aurangzeb."

Today, encroachments are increasing on every fort where Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj set foot, and the leaders supporting these encroachments are primarily from the Maha Vikas Aghadi. The Waqf Board can claim any land, including those of historical significance to Shivaji Maharaj, yet Congress and its allies back this board.

Sharad Pawar and His Ideology

Sharad Pawar, the supreme leader of the NCP, is known for his opposition to the ideology of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Pawar has rarely visited Raigad, and he once remarked, "There is no need to call Shivaji Maharaj the Janata Raja." A legislator groomed by Pawar, Prakash Gajbhiye, dressed as Shivaji Maharaj, bowed before his political leaders, mocking Shivaji's legacy.

Actor Amol Kolhe, who built his political career portraying Shivaji Maharaj, opposed the renaming of Aurangabad and even filmed romantic songs on a fort once sanctified by Shivaji's presence. Certain so-called historians even made the bizarre claim that "Shivaji Maharaj's lineage was restored because of the dargah at Vishalgad." Leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi have supported such distortions, and the portrayal of Afzal Khan's defeat by Shivaji remains highly opposed, particularly by leaders of the Aghadi.

Uddhav Thackeray's Legacy

Balasaheb Thackeray was a revered leader for Hindus across India. However, his son Uddhav Thackeray has also become subservient to Congress and its allies' ideology. Sanjay Raut, a senior leader from Uddhav's faction, recently heaped praise on Aurangzeb and the Mughals, marking the greatest insult to the sacrifices of Shivaji Maharaj and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj.

Opposing Shivaji Maharaj Everywhere

In Maharashtra, Congress tried to stop the celebration of Shivaji Jayanti in Bhiwandi. After 40 years, Sharad Pawar visited Raigad, and even after 75 years of independence, Congress leaders in Delhi still supported naming major roads after Aurangzeb. Furthermore, Congress and its allies vehemently opposed the renaming of Aurangabad and have even opposed the grand statue of Shivaji Maharaj being built in the Arabian Sea. Ironically, the petitioner challenging this monument belongs to Uddhav Thackeray's party.

Show Them "Takmak Tok"

The glorious legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj has always stood as a major obstacle to Congress and Nehru's image-building. Hence, Congress has done the most to tarnish his legacy. Sharad Pawar's minority-appeasing politics also found the truthful telling of Shivaji's history dangerous, prompting him to take a stance contrary to the original Shivaji ideology.

For almost 60 years, the Shiv Sena has built its politics around Shivaji Maharaj's name, but when it needed Muslim votes, Uddhav Thackeray supported Congress's ideas. Today, Congress and its allies stand as the true enemies of Shivaji Maharaj's ideology. Congress and its allies have never thought beyond their families and close relatives. In contrast, Shivaji Maharaj's rule was for the common people. Now, it's up to the people of Maharashtra to show these traitors the "Takmak Tok" (the cliff where traitors were punished).