The book by BJP leader Jay Bhagwan Goyal compares PM Modi to Chhatrapati Shivaji.
Highlights
- BJP leader Jay Bhagwan Goyal wrote "Aaj ke Shivaji: Narendra Modi"
- Sena, Congress, Sharad Pawar's party hit out at the BJP
- "Shivaji's descendants should quit BJP over the book": Sena's Sanjay Raut
A book by a BJP leader comparing Chhatrapati Shivaji to Prime Minister Narendra Modi has led to massive political outrage in Maharashtra with the Congress, the Shiv Sena and Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) - who are part of the ruling alliance - hitting out the BJP.
The book, titled "Aaj ke Shivaji: Narendra Modi" and written by BJP leader Jay Bhagwan Goyal, was released during a religious-cultural meet organised by the Delhi BJP.
Terming it "chamchagiri" or sycophancy, the Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut said the warrior king's descendants should clarify if they like the Prime Minister being likened to him.
"Chhatrapati Shivaji's descendants should clarify if they like (Narendra) Modi being compared to him. Chhatrapati Shivaji's descendants should quit BJP over the book," Mr Raut said, targeting the BJP's Rajya Sabha member Sambhaji Raje, who is a descendant of Shivaji.
Sambhaji Raje on Sunday demanded that BJP chief Amit Shah immediately ban the book. "We respect Narendra Modi, who was elected as the prime minister of the country for the second time. But neither (Narendra) Modi nor anybody else in the world can be compared with Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj," he said on Sunday.
Another BJP leader, Udayanraje Bhosale, is the thirteenth descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji. He had resigned from the NCP within months of the April 2019 Lok Sabha elections. He had later joined the BJP and fought the Lok Sabha by-election from Satara in October last year. However, he lost the by-election.
Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe on Sunday lodged a complaint with Nagpur Police against the author for allegedly hurting the sentiments of people by comparing PM Modi with Shivaji in his book.
Maharashtra minister Ashok Chavan of the Congress said Chhatrapati Shivaji's personality and work are incomparable. "No individual can even match the legendary warrior king's toe nail," he said.