BJP’s national spokesperson, CR Kesavan, launched a scathing attack on Congress for targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Shivaji statue collapse and said that it was Congress and the Gandhi family who had a track record of disparaging, demeaning and dishonouring Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

Kesavan further targeted former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru for writing “desperately” and “demeaningly” about the great Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in his book “Glimpses of World History.”.

“In 2022, Prime Minister Modi Ji has unveiled a new flag of the Indian Navy, in which the old Saint George’s cross was replaced and it incorporated the Raj Mudra of our own Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The royal feel of great Shivaji Maharaj whose maritime prowess was legendary. On the other hand, in 1934, we had Jawaharlal Nehru, who, in his “Glimpses of World History”, wrote desperately and demeaningly about the great Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj while, in fact, extolling the Afzal Khan in that narrative. Rahul Gandhi should first have glimpses into his own family’s track record of disparaging, demeaning and dishonouring the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj,” said Kesavan in a self-made video.

Kesavan further said, “In Glimpses of World History, Pandit Nehru had written that Shivaji Maharaj with his enemies would be prepend to take any good or bad means to achieve his own game. He has also cited an example of how Shivaji Maharaj treacherously killed Afzal Khan, the Bijapur general. Nehru had written that such deeds of Shivaji where he treacherously killed Afzal Khan, greatly lowered the image of Shivaji Maharaj in our estimations. Can you even imagine, you know, Afzal Khan was such a notorious general, who ransacked and disintegrated temples and massacred people, here Nehru is arguing in his favour. This is the mindset of the Congress party.”

Continuing his attacks on the Congress and former Prime Minister Nehru, Kesavan stated, “Not only that, you know in 1957, Nehru was supposed to inaugurate the statue of Shivaji Maharaj in Pratapgarh, there was a widespread criticism in Maharashtra because of the disparaging comments Nehru has made before, and historians, academicians had been criticising Nehru. One very notable Marathi writer and translator, SG Bhaveji, had written in a letter to Nehru on November 12…. On November 14, Nehru replied to Bhaveji in a racist way saying that his knowledge about Shivaji’s life and career is very limited and he has written things after reading books of foreigner historians…..”
He further slammed Congress for its “double-faced mindset” and said whether it’s a Nehru’s Congress to Rahul’s Congress, they depend upon foreign narratives and perspectives to define India.

“This is the mindset of the Congress party, the double-faced mindset. From Nehru’s Congress to Rahul’s Congress, depending on the foreign narratives or perspectives to define India has been happening all along. But in a contrast, you see Narendra Modi and whose leadership, we have civilizational and cultural renaissance of birth.”
He further accused Congress of bulldozing Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue during their rule in Madhya Pradesh.

Kesavan said, “Now, Rahul Gandhi and Congress, there are reports also, that during their rule in Madhya Pradesh bulldozed Shivaji Maharaj statue, so, this is the track record of the Congress party.”

Taking a jibe at the Congress party and Rahul Gandhi, Kesavan said, “As far as Rahul Gandhi is concerned, after three successive election defeats, he is very desperate, in the Lok Sabha elections, he (Congress) miserably lost the elections, tried to politicise the army, the bureaucracy, courts, the Election Commission and now they are trying to politicise the legacy of great Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. People of Maharashtra are very aware and they will not forgive him or his MVA alliance, who will be badly defeated and resoundingly rejected by the people in the days to come.”

On September 5, Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi during his visit to Maharashtra, targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the collapse of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue, and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should apologise not just to Shivaji Maharaj but also to every person in Maharashtra.

“I give you a guarantee that Kadam ji’s (late Congress minister Patangrao Kadam) statue installed will be here even after 50-70 years….Shivaji Maharaj’s statue was installed but only a few days later the statue fell. This is an insult to Shivaji Maharaj. The PM should apologise not just to Shivaji Maharaj but also to every person of Maharashtra,” he said.
A 35-foot-tall statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Sindhudurg district collapsed on August 26. It was unveiled on December 4 last year as part of Navy Day celebrations and was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The collapse of the statue of the Maratha state’s iconic founder has sparked a significant political war between leaders of the state, with opposition criticising the Eknath Shinde-led government for the collapse.