Overview
- Union minister C. R. Patil made the assertion at a public event in Surat while praising the Patidar community.
- Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut condemned the remark as an insult to Maharashtra and accused the BJP of trying to appropriate a revered icon.
- Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar dismissed the claim, reiterating Shivaji Maharaj’s Bhonsle lineage and ties to the Satara throne.
- Patil defended his statement to The Hindu, citing years of promoting Shivaji’s legacy in Gujarat through statues and funding more than 100 performances of the play Jaanata Raja.
- BJP leaders in Maharashtra sought distance from the row, with state ministers Chandrashekhar Bawankule and Nitesh Rane saying they were unaware of Patil’s comments.