The Maharashtra government has approached the Centre to get back a sword of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj which is in a museum in the United Kingdom, state culture minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said on Thursday.
The state government will also try to reach out to UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in this regard, he told reporters.
“In 2024 we will celebrate 350th anniversary of Shivaji Maharaj's coronation. We wish to bring back his `Jagdamba sword' from the UK. It has been touched by Shivaji Maharaj so it is extremely valuable for us," the minister said.
“We have started communication with the Union government to bring back the sword from the UK," he said, adding that Rishi Sunak -- an Indian-origin leader -- has now become the prime minister of that country.
“We will try to have dialogue with the UK prime minister Rishi Sunak. If the UK hands over the sword , it would help us a lot as we are organizing a series of events for the special day in 2024,” Mungantiwar said.
Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, "It is obvious that we want the sword back, because it is a matter of pride for us.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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