Outlook Explainer: Maharashtra’s Shivaji-Tipu Row

In a dramatic showdown between BJP and Congress workers, at least nine people were injured outside Congress Bhavan in Pune on 15 February. The clash originated due to a comment by a former Maharashtra MLA, Harshwardhan Sapkal. 

The state Congress chief had stirred controversy when he likened Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to the18th-century Mysuru ruler Tipu Sultan. This comment earned backlash from several opposition members, including Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, eventually culminating in a protest organised outside Congress Bhavan in the city. 

The Comment: Controversy within a Controversy

This controversy originated from another controversy.

In Malegaon city in Nashik district, the newly elected Deputy Mayor Shan-e-Hind Nihal Ahmad had hung a photograph of Tipu Sultan inside her official government cabin of the Malegaon Municipal Corporation (MMC) building. 

A video of Tipu Sultan's portrait displayed in the Deputy Mayor's office went viral on social media on 13 February. Following this, the Deputy Mayor of the muslim majority city faced backlash from members of the Shiv Sena, BJP, other political parties, and Hindutva organisations for the choice of picture.

Ahmad defended the move and claimed Tipu Sultan was a historical figure who fought the British. She told reporters, “He (Tipu Sultan) was acknowledged for his bravery at that time. There are roads named after him in Mumbai and Nagpur. This is an attempt to divert attention from our work. Some people are unable to digest that two Muslim women are the mayor and the deputy mayor in Malegaon.

However, the next day, the picture was removed from the wall by the MMC, citing that Tipu Sultan’s name is not listed in the Protocol List of eligible pictures for government offices.

Responding to reporters on the Malegaon-Tipu controversy, Sapkal defended the Samajwadi Party Deputy Mayor by likening the valour of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to that of Tipu Sultan. 

While pointing to the valour of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the way he presented the idea of 'Swarajya', Sapkal gave the example of Tipu Sultan's call for battle against the British and claimed this was an ideal articulated on the same lines.

"In that sense, Tipu Sultan emerged as a warrior and a bhoomiputra of Bharat. He never embraced poisonous ideologies. Rather, as a symbol of valour, we should regard Tipu Sultan on par (samakaksh is the word Sapkal used) with Shivaji Maharaj," the Congress leader said.

By doing so, the Malegaon-Tipu controversy morphed into the Shivaji-Tipu controversy. 

Backlash

Amongst the many who objected to the controversial statement by Sapkal, the strongest condemnation came from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Hitting out at Sapkal, Fadnavis said the comparison was condemnable and asserted the Congress leader must feel ashamed of himself.

"Maharashtra will not tolerate this. Sapkal should apologise for comparing Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj with Tipu Sultan. The Congress should take cognisance of this matter, and its allies must clear their stand on Sapkal's statement," Fadnavis told reporters in Nagpur.

Sapkal further defended his stance on X, claiming that the valour of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is unparalleled, while Tipu Sultan was valiant and a lover of Swarajya.

"It was by taking Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj as an ideal that he (Tipu Sultan) fought against the British," Sapkal said in the post.

Additionally, he claimed that those following the ideology of the Sangh-BJP were slaves and spies of the British when Tipu Sultan was fighting the foreign rulers.

"Therefore, Devendra Fadnavis should not get into the pretence of teaching us history. The people of Maharashtra have not forgotten what all BJP-RSS (former governor) Bhagatsingh Koshyari, along with others, spewed against Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and disrespected him," Sapkal said.

Sapkal also claimed that the BJP is digging into the comment to distract public attention from the Epstein files. "The meaning of all this is clear. They (the BJP) want to divert attention from basic issues of Maharashtra and from the Epstein files, in which a lot is hidden. Bringing caste and religion into every matter is the BJP's old tactic. They are using my responsible statement and giving it a Hindu-Muslim angle," Sapkal said.

Senior Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe supported Sapkal, stating that the ruling BJP was avoiding discussion on key issues such as unemployment, rising prices, farmer suicides and increasing electricity tariffs in the state, he claimed.

"The Congress strongly condemns the attempt by the BJP leadership to divert public attention from governance-related issues by fuelling religious polarisation," he added. 

Maharashtra Congress leader Sachin Sawant also accused the BJP of "double standards" and pursuing a polarisation agenda.

Clash in Pune: FIR vs FIR

On 15 February, BJP workers staged a protest in Pune, condemning Sapkal's remarks.

According to several reports, Patit Pawan Sanghatana was the first to arrive at the city’s Congress Bhavan. The protests escalated into violence despite heavy police deployment as BJP workers confronted Congress activists and pelted stones. Nine persons, including workers of the rival parties, two police personnel and two journalists, were reported to have sustained injuries. 

As a result of cross-complaints, Pune police have registered FIRs against several local BJP and Congress workers under various Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections, including 118(1) (causing hurt or grievous hurt using dangerous weapons or means), 189 (unlawful assembly) and 324(4) (mischief), a police official said.

Additionally, Pune police have registered two separate cases against the BJP and Congress city chiefs.  One case has been lodged against BJP city unit president Dheeraj Ghate, its local youth wing chief Dushyant Mohol and 50 to 60 other party workers. Another case is against Congress city head Arvind Shinde, two other local leaders and some unidentified party workers, the official said.

As per Ranjan Kumar Sharma, Joint Commissioner of Pune Police, a few participants of the BJP organised a protest, lingered after the protest and attempted to climb the walls and enter the building. This resulted in some retaliation from Congress workers from inside the Congress Bhavan. He added that the situation was de-escalated with police intervention. He claims that both sides participated in stone pelting.

BJP city president Dheeraj Ghate maintained that the protest was carried out in honour of Shivaji after Sapkal smeared his name. He additionally claimed that it was, in actuality, Congress members who answered the peaceful demonstration with violence. He posed a question to Congress on whether the workers collected at the Bhavan in the defence of Tipu Sultan. 

Meanwhile, back in Malegaon, Ahmad stated at a reception that the photograph of Tipu Sultan will be put up again after the renovation work of the hall is completed, according to an ABP report.

As controversy births more controversy, and FIRs lead to more FIRS, it seems Maharashtra’s political leaders are currently preoccupied with locking horns with one another on which historical figures can actually be honoured.