Explained: Controversy over Devendra Fadnavis's 'Nehru-Shivaji insult' remark
A political row has erupted between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress, just days ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly elections. The controversy was triggered by Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's demand for an apology from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Fadnavis accused India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru of insulting Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in his book The Discovery of India.
Fadnavis's accusation and Gandhi's response
The controversy was reignited when Gandhi inaugurated a statue of Shivaji Maharaj in Kolhapur city, western Maharashtra. He criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the collapse of a 35-foot Shivaji Maharaj statue in Malvan's Sindhudurg, unveiled by PM Modi last year. Responding to Gandhi's criticism at an event in Thane, Fadnavis stated, "Rahul Gandhi is remembering Shivaji Maharaj now. But he should first apologize for the insult of Shivaji Maharaj by Nehru in his book."
Fadnavis's claims about Nehru's portrayal of Shivaji
Notably, this isn't the first time Fadnavis has accused Nehru of insulting the Maratha king. He had targeted Nehru when the Congress protested against the collapse of a Shivaji Maharaj statue at Rajkot Fort in Sindhudurg district, nearly eight months after it was unveiled by PM Modi. Fadnavis had claimed that "Nehru ji insulted Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in The Discovery of India." He had also alleged Congress had spread a false narrative about Shivaji Maharaj looting Surat.
Nehru's actual depiction of Shivaji in 'The Discovery of India'
However, a cursory read of The Discovery of India shows that Nehru actually lauded Shivaji and slammed Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. An excerpt about Shivaji from the book reads, "Shivaji, born in 1627, was the ideal guerilla leader...courageous, and possessing high qualities of leadership. He built up the Marathas as a strong unified fighting group...and made them a formidable power that broke up the Mughal empire."
Congress's response to Fadnavis's accusations
The Congress has also accused Fadnavis of spreading fake narratives. Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole said Fadnavis repeatedly lied about Nehru's comments on Chhatrapati Shivaji. "Nehru wrote the book while in jail. After he was released, he revised his comments and also apologized," Patole told reporters, adding that PM Modi should focus on his work during the first two terms of the National Democratic Alliance government rather than just attacking the Congress.
