Amidst controversy, Dhirendra Shastri apologises for his remarks on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, sparking debate over historical accuracy and political motivations in Maharashtra.
Key Points
- Shastri clarified his comments about dedicating children to the RSS, stating his intention was to promote patriotic and Sanatani values.
- Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati accused Shastri of presenting a fabricated account of Shivaji Maharaj and called for a ban on his events in Maharashtra.
- Maharashtra Congress criticised Shastri's remarks as a deliberate attempt by the BJP to distort history.
- Devendra Fadnavis acknowledged differing versions of historical narratives and urged responsible reactions to avoid unnecessary controversy.
Amid backlash in Maharashtra, Bageshwar Dham head Dhirendra Shastri on Sunday said he was "extremely sorry" for his remarks on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, which he claimed were twisted by some people on social media.
Referring to his controversial remarks that people should give birth to four children and dedicate one of them to RSS, Shastri clarified that he had suggested making children staunch "Rashtrawadi like Sangh" with Sanatani ideology.
A row erupted after Shastri claimed at a programme in Nagpur that Shivaji Maharaj had expressed his desire to renounce his responsibilities because he was tired of warfare, and approached his "guru" Samarth Ramdas with his crown.
Addressing a press conference in Nagpur on Sunday, the spiritual preacher claimed that his remarks on Shivaji Maharaj were misrepresented on social media.
Shastri said he was pained by allegations that he didn't respect Shivaji Maharaj, emphasising that his resolution on 'Hindu Rashtra' was inspired by the concept of Hindvi Swaraj.
"Forget about disrespecting him, I cannot even tolerate anyone criticising Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in my dream," he said.
Shastri clarified that he had tried to highlight Shivaji Maharaj's devotion towards saints, mahants, and goddess Tuljabhavani during his speech.
He had also claimed that Samarth Ramdas placed the crown offered to him by Chhatrapati Shivaji back on his head and instructed him to continue governing, reminding him that true service lies in fulfilling one's responsibilities despite personal exhaustion.
"Some people presented my narration in the wrong manner. If my remarks have hurt anyone's feelings, I am extremely sorry. I want to request that my statement should not be presented incorrectly, as I live and die for Shivaji Maharaj," he said.
Queried on his remarks about dedicating children to the RSS, Shastri said his intention behind that statement was to make children 'Rashtrawadis'.
"What I meant was to make your child patriotic with a Sanatani ideology like RSS, and dedicate them to the Sangh organisation or the Army or make them a collector or a teacher. The child's ideology should be 'Sanatani' like the RSS, so that wherever he lives, he holds the saffron flag and propagates Hindutva," he added.
Shastri also said he would start a family in future.
"You may ask that, though I don't have children, I am asking the people to dedicate their kids. I want to tell you that I will also get married in future, and God willing, I will also contribute to increasing the number of Bhartiya Hindus," he added.
Former Rajya Sabha member and Maratha royal, Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati, meanwhile, accused Shastri of presenting a "fabricated and misleading" account of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, and urged the Maharashtra government to bar him from holding events in the state.
Sambhajiraje, a descendant of Shivaji Maharaj, said Shastri comes from the state (Madhya Pradesh) where the great warrior Chhatrasal Bundela was inspired by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to fight the Mughals and establish an independent kingdom.
He alleged Shastri doesn't know the history of his own state.
"He comes to Maharashtra and narrates a fabricated and misleading history of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, even claiming that Maharaj grew tired of fighting battles," he said on Sunday.
Calling the public response to the "fake godman's" discourses "extremely unfortunate," he said those who promote such people, including certain individuals and politicians, should be set straight.
"The state government should ban such persons from holding events in Maharashtra," he said, adding that the spiritual and historical legacy of Hinduism is of the highest order, and it should not be disrespected by mixing it with inaccurate and misleading narratives.
A day earlier, Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal claimed Shastri's remarks reflected the BJP's deliberate attempt to distort history.
He had demanded an apology from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Union minister Nitin Gadkari and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, claiming that even though the "highly objectionable" remarks were made in their presence, none of them registered even a basic protest.
Reacting to Shastri's speech, Fadnavis had said, "No such example is there in the history which we have learnt or the books available".
Noting that stories about great personalities often evolve differently over time and citing the examples of the Ramayana and Mahabharata, Fadnavis had said that various folk versions exist in different regions.
He also said people should avoid unnecessary controversy and react responsibly.
