Nagpur: Political temperatures soared in Nagpur on Sunday after a controversial remark allegedly made by MPCC President Harshvardhan Sapkal comparing Tipu Sultan with Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj triggered sharp reactions across Maharashtra.
In protest against the statement, workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s youth wing staged an aggressive demonstration in Nagpur. The agitation, described by organizers as a “chappal maro” protest, saw activists gathering in large numbers at Gandhi Gate in the Mahal area, where a grand statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj stands.
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Raising slogans against Sapkal, the protesters expressed outrage by hurling slippers at his photographs. BJP leaders and party workers alleged that the comparison amounted to a distortion of history and hurt the sentiments of Shivaji Maharaj’s followers.
The demonstrators demanded that Sapkal issue a public apology to the people of Maharashtra. Some BJP leaders also warned that until he tenders an apology, they would oppose his entry into Nagpur city.
The controversy has further intensified the political atmosphere in Nagpur, with leaders from various parties weighing in as the debate over the remark continues to escalate.
