Won't tolerate if anyone calls Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj a looter: Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis

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Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister (CM) Devendra Fadnavis stated on Saturday that describing Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj as a "looter" will not be tolerated. His statement comes in response to Nationalist Congress Party (SP) leader Jayant Patil's claim that the Maratha king sought extortion from Surat to expand his Swarajya.

The Maharashtra Deputy CM also appealed to Indian scholars to come together to correct the misrepresentation of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, which he said was rooted in the narrative created by English historians. "Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is being viewed through the lens of English historians," the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader remarked, calling for scholars to rectify the historical inaccuracies in portraying the 17th-century Maratha king, reported PTI.

"My sole point is that my king was never a looter. I will not tolerate anyone calling him that. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was never a plunderer and never troubled common people," the Maharashtra Deputy CM said during a press briefing in Mumbai.

Criticising the opposition Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA), Fadnavis suggested that those leaders, whose government had been labelled an "extortionist regime," would naturally think in terms of extortion. His comments were a direct response to NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) Maharashtra unit president Jayant Patil's remarks that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj had demanded extortion from Surat.

What did Maharashtra leader Jayant Patil say?

At an event on Friday, Patil claimed, "Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj had informed Surat that we (the Maratha army) need a specific amount as extortion." He went on to explain that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj did not receive the requested amount, and instead, a Mughal messenger was sent to retaliate against the Maratha king. According to Patil, this incident led to the looting of Surat by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, after the Mughal messenger was killed.

Patil clarified that while looters act to fill their coffers, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj secured the wealth for Swarajya, distinguishing the Maratha king's actions from mere looting.

The 1664 Battle of Surat, in which Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj defeated Mughal commander Inayat Khan, has resurfaced amid a sharp verbal clash between BJP and MVA over the collapse of the Maratha king's statue in Sindhudurg district.

Fadnavis reignited the debate by accusing the Congress of promoting an incorrect version of the Battle of Surat, portraying Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj as a plunderer. He countered this narrative by stating, "Maharaj didn't loot Surat. He only retrieved Swarajya's treasure from the rightful sources."

These remarks have prompted opposition parties, including Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (SP), and Congress, to accuse the BJP of attempting to "rewrite history." However, Fadnavis stood firm, reiterating that the Maratha king's legacy should not be tarnished by incorrect historical portrayals.

(With PTI inputs)