Row over Shivaji’s ‘loyal dog’: As Amit Shah visits Raigad Fort, Sambhajiraje ups the ante for removal of Waghya statue | Pune News

Speaking to the Indian Express, Sambhajiraje, who had first raised the demand for the removal of the dog’s statue last month, said, ”I recently made the demand for removal of the statue of the dog from the fort. And I am firm on it. I hope that when the home minister visits the fort, he will realise the futility of having a statue close to the samadhi of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. I am hoping that he will announce the removal of the statue of the dog.’

Sambhajiraje reiterated that there was no credible historical evidence that a dog was loyal to Shivaji Maharaj and jumped into his funeral pyre. ”For decades, no one knew any such thing about the existence of the dog. It is a fake story paraded after 1919. It was actually brought forward by Ram Ganesh Gadkari through his play, Rajsanyas, in 1919. It was his figment of imagination.”

Sambhajiraje said after this Marathi play was staged, the move to build the dog’s statue got momentum, and then it was installed without any “historical basis”.

“What is more shocking is that the statue of the so-called loyal dog is bigger than the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. This is absolutely ridiculous. The dog’s statue should have actually been removed a long time ago. At least now, it should be removed without wasting any more time,” he added.

Sambhajiraje said he was confident that the statue would be removed as Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had announced his intention to set up a committee for the purpose.

On Saturday, while speaking to reporters in Pune, Udayanraje also urged the removal of the dog’s statue. He said, “How can a long-eared dog be considered Indian? This dog belonged to the British, and its statue should be demolished.”

‘Bhushansinharaje had some misunderstanding’

Sambhajiraje said Bhushansinharaje Holkar, a descendant of Ahilyabai Holkar, a queen of the Indore dynasty, has also softened his stand on the matter. ”Earlier, Bhushansinharaje had opposed the demand to remove the statue. That was because of some misunderstanding. He thought I had given the deadline of May 31 to remove the statue of the dog. May 31 is the birth anniversary of Ahilyabai Holkar. The state government had earlier set the May 31 deadline for removing encroachments from the forts. And that is why I had asked to remove the statue by May 31,” he said.

After the controversy erupted last month, Bhushansinhraje, at a press conference in Pune, said, ”The Waghya dog issue has become an emotional and self-respect issue one for both groups. I will not talk about whether the Waghya dog existed during Shivaji Maharaj’s era. It will all depend on the historical evidence available. However, I feel that the controversy should not happen. The sentiments of the followers should not be hurt.”

Shah was set to visit the fort to pay respects to Shivaji Maharaj on his 345th death anniversary Saturday. He will also visit the residence of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Maharashtra president Sunil Tatkare.