New Delhi: At least nine people were injured on Sunday as BJP and Congress workers staged a protest in Pune against Congress leader Harshvardhan Sapkar’s alleged remarks comparing Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to Tipu Sultan.The clashes took place outside the Parliament House, where PPP workers had gathered to protest against Sapkar’s remarks. The situation escalated into shouting slogans and throwing stones at each other, causing minor injuries.Joint Inspector General of Police Ranjan Kumar Sharma said three Congress workers, two BJP workers, two policemen and two journalists were injured in the incident.“Protests were held near the Parliament House with workers of the BJP and Congress shouting slogans. Workers from both sides climbed onto the walls and stones were thrown from both sides. Cases are being registered against workers of both parties,” Sharma informed.Police deployed heavy security in the area to prevent further escalation of the situation.The controversy stems from recent remarks by Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal, in which he mentioned the valor of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and cited Tipu Sultan’s resistance to the British with similar sentiments. The comments sparked a political backlash in the state.“The courage possessed by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the concept of ‘Swarajya’ (self-government) he introduced… Much later, Tipu Sultan followed this tradition and drew inspiration from his ideals and launched a war against the British,” Sapkar told reporters.“In this sense, Tipu Sultan was a great warrior, showed great courage and was a true son of India. He never let any toxic or public thoughts sway him. As a symbol of bravery, we should consider Tipu Sultan on par with Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj,” he added.A day earlier, another row broke out over the display of Tipu Sultan’s portrait at the Malegaon Municipal Corporation deputy mayor’s office, which was opposed by the Shiv Sena Corporation and Hindu groups.Pune Municipal Council president Arvind Shinde said the party had submitted a written complaint against the BJP workers and demanded action.He said a case should be registered against Mayor Manjusha Nagpure, BJP city president Dheeraj Ghate, Dushyant Mohol and other workers.Maharashtra Congress vice-president Mohan Joshi told the Press Trust of India in an interview that the violence was initiated by BJP workers.“During the protest, stones were pelted at Congress workers and two were injured. We are currently holding a sit-in protest outside Shivaji Nagar police station seeking action,” he said.Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 1) Krishikesh Rawale said the police intervened quickly to prevent the situation from deteriorating.Meanwhile, BJP Pune city unit president Dheeraj Ghate lodged a complaint against Sapkar with the Parvati police station for allegedly hurting Hindu sentiments. FIR has been registered.Political exchanges intensified as Maharashtra Congress leader Sachin Sawant accused the BJP of practicing “double standards” and pursuing a polarizing agenda.In a statement, Sawant cited instances in the past where BJP leaders had supported mentioning Tipu Sultan, the 18th-century Mysore ruler, in public spaces and official forums. He referred to the resolutions passed by the civic bodies in Akola and Mumbai and claimed that the BJP leaders had earlier praised or been associated with the historical figure.“What should this hypocrisy be called? Tipu Sultan once wore a ring with Lord Ram’s name engraved on it,” he claimed.Sawant alleged that the BJP is now portraying Tipu Sultan negatively to create religious divisions and engage in “twisted religious politics”.He further cited examples including the Akola Municipal Corporation’s 2012 resolution to name a hall after Tipu Sultan, a 2013 proposal backed by the BJP corporator to name a road in Mumbai, and the naming of Andheri (West) road in 2001. He also claimed that former Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa had visited Tipu Sultan’s grave and wrote words of praise, and then President Ram Nath Kovind had praised Tipu Sultan in the Karnataka Assembly in 2017.
