A bitter war of words has broken out between the Opposition BJP and the ruling Shiv Sena over the former’s demand for renaming Aurangabad as Samabhajinagar, with the Sena slamming its erstwhile saffron ally for making it an issue and it that it would not allow the latter to disturb peace in the State.
Three days after State BJP president Chandrakantdada Patil demanded that Aurangabad be renamed as “Sambhajinagar”, the Shiv Sena in its official mouth-piece “Saamana” on Monday hit out at Patil whom it dubbed as “Dadamiya” for his demand and stated: “People have begun to think if the Opposition (BJP) has been reduced to kicking its own leg in the air and making irresponsible statements. We need peace in Maharashtra. The BJP should realise that as much as it may whip up the Aurangabad renaming issue, but it would not able to disturb peace in the State” .
“The BJP has been invoking the name of Shivaji for the past five years. It has become so arrogant that it has published a book that Prime Minister Modi is himself Shivaji Maharaj... It is now demanding that Aurangabad should be renamed as Sambhajinagar. Who prevented (former chief minister Devendra) from renaming Aurangabad after Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj?,” the “Saamana” editorial asked.
“From when BJP’s Dadamiya (Patil) has become a historian? If he really likes to be historian, he should have known Hinduhriday Samrat” Balasaheb Thackeray had renamed Aurangabad as Sambhajinagar 25 years ago. He had said: from now on Aurangabad would be known as Sambhajinagar. From thereon every Hindu with self-pride used to call Aurangabad as Sambhajingar,” the editorial said.
Coming down heavily on Patil for his statement that “We are descendants of Maratha warriors Chhatrapati Shivaji Mahataj and Sambhaji Maharaj and not of Aurangazeb, Hence, Aurangabad should be named after Sambhaji Maharaj”, the Sena’s official mouth-piece said: “There is no need for Dadamiya to make a claim that We are descendants of Maratha warriors Chhatrapati Shivaji Mahataj and Sambhaji Maharaj. He should know that no one in Maharashtra is a descendent of Aurangazeb. Maharashtra has buried Aurangazeb for good. We are all proud of this fact”.
Taking at pot shot at the BJP for invoking Hindutva and nationalism, the Saamana editorial said: “Can’t people understand as to why there is sudden surge of love for Hindutva and nationalism in the BJP?. Sometimes, it ( the BJP) talks about Veersavarkar, while on some other occasions, it talks about Sambhajingar. Neither has it even laid a brick for the grand memorial for Chhatrapati Shivaji ( in mid-sea off south Mumbai) nor has it given Bharat Ratna posthumously to Veer Savarkar. If Ram Mandir is being built at Ayodhya, it is courtesy Supreme Court. Only thing is that it is lying emphasis on renaming of Aurangabad as Sambhajinagar”.
“Hindu self-pride is inter-linked with nationalism. In Maharashtra, nationalism will never die. Anyone who tries to kill nationalism will take a beating from the Hindus. This is because we are all descendents of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Sambhaji Maharaj and Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray. Like Moghuls, the BJP’s horse is not ready to drink water in a normal way,” the Sena mouth-piece said, while criticising Patil for his irresponsible statement.
It may be recalled that the State BJP president had on Saturday last latched on to the Sena’s oft-raised issue and rooted for renaming of Aurangabad as Sambhajinar.
Talking to media persons at Aurangabad after holding a meeting with his party’s district office bearers on preparations for the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) polls scheduled to be held in March-April, State BJP president Patil had said: “We are descendants of Maratha warriors Chhatrapati Shivaji Mahataj and Sambhaji Maharaj and not of Aurangazeb. Hence, Aurangabad should be named after Sambhaji Maharaj.”