Amid a row caused by remarks of Maharashtra Governor B S Koshyari and BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi regarding Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday said the warrior king will remain a hero and idol for the state and country as long as the sun and moon exist.

A major row erupted a day after Koshyari called Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj an idol of "olden times" at a function in Aurangabad. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has accused Bharatiya Janata Party national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi of claiming the founder of the Maratha empire apologised to Mughal king Aurangzeb five times.