Shiv Sena activists protest over removal of Konddev’s statue in Pune

PUNE - The Shiv Sena activists staged a demonstration as a mark of protest here on Monday against the City municipal Corporation removing a statue of Dadoji Konddev, considered the ‘guru’ of Chhatrapati Shivaji.

A statue of Dadoji Konddev was removed from Pune’s Lal Mahal this morning and placed in a municipal garden by the Pune Municipal Corporation.

Shiv Sena spokesperson Neelam Gorhe said the removal of Dadoji Konddev’s statue is a political conspiracy.

“The historical story of Lal Mahal (red palace) depicts this story that in this fort, Shivaji Maharaj had established a relationship with Pune. It is here that the ideology which Shivaji had imbibed from his mother Jijamata, was prompted into action by his mentor Dadoji Konddev as such this place has high historical relevance,” said Gorhe.

“With this in the backdrop, the act of removing the statue of Dadoji Konddev amounts to a sort of political conspiracy by our opponents and poison the politics whereas the Shiv Sena and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have always tried to bind all the people together in upholding the saga of Shivaji,” she added.

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also condemned the action of Pune Municipal Corporation.

Sandip Khardekar, Vice President of the Pune city unit of BJP, slammed the newly appointed Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar for the removal of Dadoji Konddev’s statue.

“This battle is not a class struggle, but this is battle between a few uncivilised folks and the cultured people. These few uncivilised people want to change the entire history. Such an ill-conceived notion has been mooted as a gift, prior to the New Year by Ajit Pawar, after becoming the Deputy Chief Minister,” said Khardekar.

“The people of Maharashtra won’t forgive Ajit Pawar, with his Nationalist Congress Party and those who are involved in such conspiracy,” he added.

Lal Mahal, in the heart of Pune, was the childhood home of Chhatrapati Shivaji and currently has statues of a young Shivaji and his mother, Jijabai. The municipal corporation plans to plans to add a statue of Shivaji’s father, Shahaji Maharaj, to replace the one that was removed today. (ANI)