Chhatrapati Shivaji incomparable: Udayanraje Bhosale

A day after the Shiv Sena questioned "silence" of descendants of Chhatrapati Shivaji on the book comparing him with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP leader and Maratha royal Udayanraje Bhosale on Tuesday said the warrior king was "incomparable".

He also launched a blistering attack on the Uddhav Thackeray-led party.

In the same breath, Bhosale said only Chhatrapati Shivaji can be called the 'Janata Raja' (enlightened king) and nobody else, a remark which is viewed as a swipe at NCP chief Sharad Pawar.

Talking to reporters while condemning the controversial book written by a BJP leader, Bhosale dared the ruling Sena to remove the word 'Shiv' from its name, and rechristen the party as "Thackeray Sena".

"Remove the word 'Shiv' from Shiv Sena and rename it as 'Thackeray Sena'. I would like to see when you change the name, how many people stand behind you," he said.

Condemning the book--"Aaj ke Shivaji, Narendra Modi", written by Delhi BJP leader Jay Bhagwan Goyal, Bhosale demanded action against the author.

His comments came a day after Sena leader Sanjay Raut dubbed the book "insulting", and asked Chhatrapati Shivaji's descendants to clarify their stand and quit the BJP over the issue.

"Every time, it is said that ask descendants. When the Shiv Sena was christened when the word 'Shiv' was used, did you come and ask the descendants?" Bhosale asked.

"I never gave any remuneration to the author to write that book. So those who are seeking my stand or clarification, I will show them their place," he said.

When asked whether he is going to speak to the BJP high command and seek action against the author, Bhosale said he would seek action.

"But I have come to know that Goyal has withdrawn the book...Forget about the book, even Goyal can be withdrawn", he said.

Without taking any name, Bhosale said some people are like dogs without a leash who are unnecessarily poking their nose in every issue.

"I do not want to take his name and make him big, rather he was never that big, but I feel sad over the blame game. I never misused Chhatrapati's legacy," he said.

Bhosale added that a dog roaming without a leash on road will be shown his place.

Further hitting out at Uddhav Thackeray's party, which is leading the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi alliance government, he asked, "Why the word 'Shiv' was removed from 'Maha Shiv Aghadi'?"

In an apparent swipe at Sharad Pawar, Bhosale, who was with the NCP earlier, said, "Calling someone 'Janata Raja' is belittling Shivaji Maharaj. Nobody in the world can be compared with Shivaji Maharaj".

"There was only one 'Janata Raja' and that was Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, so think before calling someone 'Janata Raja'," he said.

NCP supporters sometimes refer to Pawar with the "Janata Raja" epithet.

"There are several issues facing Maharashtra...They are at the centre of power...the so-called 'Janate Raje'," Bhosale said.

Targetting the NCP, Congress and Shiv Sena, Bhosale said, "All these janate raje were busy in horse-trading in five-star hotels while farmers were dying. I sometimes feel that it is better to die than seeing the kind of days," he said.

He criticised political parties for using Chhatrapati Shivaji's name for their "convenience".

He also criticised a food brand for using the word 'Shiv' as a prefix to sell its 'vada pav'.

As the book created a political storm, BJP's Rajya Sabha member Chhatrapati Sambhaji Raje, who is also a descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji, had demanded that it be banned.

Another descendant and BJP MLA Shivendraraje Bhosale, had said it was unfortunate that some "bootlickers" were creating a problem for the party's image.

During the presser, Bhosale showed a poster of the Shiv Sena Bhavan, the party headquarter in Mumbai, and pointed at the "place" of Shivaji Maharaj.

He also showed a picture in which MLA Prakash Gajbhiye dressed as Shivaji Maharaj was seen bowing.

Continuing his diatribe against the Sena, Bhosale questioned the saffron party's stand on the 2004 book of James Laine on Chhatrapati Shivaji.

The BJP leader also questioned the status of the project to install the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the Arabian Sea.

"These people are only after power. They think about petty issues like ZP, municipal elections. They cannot stay together for a long. Once their motives are achieved, they will go on their own ways," he said in a swipe at the three coalition parties.

Bhosale said it was sad that people are still fighting for meals even 70 years after Independence.

"What have you achieved in a democracy? Had there been a 'rajeshahi', I can tell you that no one would have lived without food," he said.