“Will truly not tolerate the insult of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj,” Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said.
| Photo Credit: X/@CMOMaharashtra via PTI Photo

Amid heated discussions between the treasury and the Opposition benches over the demand to take strict action against those who insulted Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday (March 5, 2025) challenged the Opposition parties to condemn Jawaharlal Nehru as well.

“Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru had written something about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in his book Discovery of India. Will you condemn it? Do you have the courage? We will truly not tolerate the insult of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. You should condemn Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru as well,” he told the Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders and Bhai Jagtap and Ambadas Danve raised the issue.

They had demanded strict action against a Nagpur-based man Prashant Koratkar and against actor Rahul Solapurkar for insulting Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The Opposition staged a sit-in protest in the Legislative Council, demanding action. After the Chief Minister accepted the demand of the Leader of Opposition, Ambadas Danve, the Opposition participated in the proceedings of the House.

“Mr. Koratkar’s phone has been confiscated. But he has not been arrested. How can that happen?” Ambadas Danve asked, even as Bhai Jagtap raised the issue.

Thereafter, the Chief Minister hit back at the Opposition. “I have given instructions that if someone has gone to the court, we should go to the higher court in appeal. Whoever insults Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj will not be spared. If the court has given any decision, we will go to a higher court. But we will not spare them. Moreover, Mr. Koratkar is a nobody. You have never condemned Jitendra Awhad [NCP(SP) leader and MLA]. He had said on record that Aurangzeb was very powerful. That Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was there because of Aurangzeb. That Shivaji Maharaj was just five feet. You didn’t condemn him. Beyond that, I tell you, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru had written something about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Discovery of India, will you condemn it? Do you have the courage? We will truly not tolerate the insult. You should condemn Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru as well,” he said.

Soon after the CM’s aggressive stance, there was pandemonium in the House, as both the Opposition and the ruling parties started sloganeering. The House had to be adjourned for 10 minutes before it could resume business again.

The Opposition demanded the arrest of Abu Azmi for his statement on Aurangzeb.