Dhirendra Shastri: Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam has blasted Bageshwar Dham seer Dhirendra Shastri by saying that sadhus and saints of the country should refrain from making comments that hurt the sentiments of people.
Nirupram made the comments after Dhirendra Shastri claimed that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was tired of fighting wars.
Comments By Dhirendra Shastri
Dhirendra Shashtri while speaking in Nagpur at the Bhardurga Shaktisthal foundation stone-laying ceremony said that Shivaji Maharaj felt exhausted after fighting endless wars. Shastri claimed that Shivaji Maharaj met Ramdas Swami and took off his crown before placing it down. The Bageshwar seer claimed that Shivaji Maharaj told Ramdas Swami that he should handle the kingdom as he doesn’t want to do anything for a few days.
The comments of Dhirendra Shastri were also blasted by Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) chief Harshwardhan Sapkal.
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Sapkal remarked that hypocritical ‘Babas’ like Dhirendra Shastri should be kicked by people of Maharashtra as they defile the ‘Maharashtra Dharma’. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari were present on the stage when Dhirendra Shastri made these comments but none stopped him.
Apology And Defence
Dhirendra Shastri, the Chief of the Bageshwar Dham temple in Madhya Pradesh, rendered an apology and said his comments were misinterpreted.
Interestingly, there is no historical reference of any meeting between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the 17th-century Marathi saint Samarth Ramdas.
Several social and political organizations across the state of Maharashtra staged protests against Dhirendra Shastri. Maratha organisation Sambhaji Brigade activists staged a protest in Nagpur while Congress party workers rallied in Amaravati; many other protests were held in Solapur and Shirdi.
The comments by Shastri were also criticized by NCP minister Chhagan Bhujbal and Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar and a complete ban on Shastri’s events in Maharashtra was demanded by Chhatrapati Sambhaji Raje Bhosale from Kolhapur.
