Debate Over Shivaji Maharaj's Legacy: Fadnavis Defends Maratha King

Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis dismisses claims by NCP (SP) leader Jayant Patil that Shivaji Maharaj sought extortion from Surat. Fadnavis urges Indian scholars to correct historical inaccuracies, asserting Shivaji was not a looter but a hero. This follows controversies over the Maratha king's depiction by English historians.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has refuted claims made by NCP (SP) leader Jayant Patil that Shivaji Maharaj demanded extortion from Surat, branding such assertions as intolerable.

Fadnavis called upon Indian scholars to debunk English historical portrayals of Shivaji Maharaj as a looter, stressing that such misrepresentations must be corrected.

The BJP leader emphasized that Shivaji Maharaj was a revered figure who never harassed common people, rebutting insinuations by the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition.

(With inputs from agencies.)