Row over Tipu Sultan portrait in Malegaon deputy mayor’s office; CM Devendra Fadnavis rebukes MPCC chief over Shivaji Maharaj comparison

NASHIK/NAGPUR: A political row erupted in Malegaon after a portrait of Mysore ruler Tipu Sultan was put up in the office of the newly-elected deputy mayor on Friday, and, amid protest and controversy, it was removed by the civic administration on Saturday.

State Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal and chief minister Devendra Fadnavis engaged in a sharp war of words on Saturday over the issue after Sapkal compared Tipu Sultan to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, claiming Tipu Sultan belonged "to the same league of valour". Fadnavis said the comparison was "unacceptable" and the Congress politician should be "ashamed".

The controversy began after Shiv Sena corporators in Malegaon objected to the display of Tipu Sultan's portrait in the office of deputy mayor Shaan-e-Hind Nihal Ahmed. A delegation met Malegaon municipal commissioner Ravindra Jadhav, demanding that it be removed and warning of an agitation if the administration failed to act. The Malegaon Municipal Corporation (MMC) on Saturday removed a portrait of Tipu Sultan from the office.

Jadhav confirmed that the administration examined the state govt's official protocol list, which outlines leaders whose anniversaries are observed and whose portraits are permitted for display in govt offices, before taking the action. "Tipu Sultan's name is not included in the protocol list. Therefore, the portrait was removed from the deputy mayor's office," MMC officials said.

Malegaon deputy mayor Shaan-e-Hind Nihal Ahmed, on Friday and again on Saturday, said she received the Tipu Sultan portrait from some visitors and had no objection to it being put up in her office. "Tipu Sultan fought against the British and was acknowledged for his bravery at that time. There are roads named after him in Mumbai and Nagpur. This is an attempt to divert attention from our work. Some people are unable to digest that two Muslim women are mayor and deputy mayor in Malegaon," she told reporters in Malegaon.

When asked about the controversy, Sapkal, speaking in Buldhana on Saturday, said "He (Tipu Sultan) waged a war against the British and was a brave warrior. He was a son of the soil. He never entertained poisonous or divisive thoughts. We should view Tipu Sultan as an equal to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj as a symbol of bravery," he said.

Fadnavis called the comparison unacceptable. Congress "should be ashamed of equating the founder of Hindavi Swarajya with Tipu Sultan, who butchered 1,000s of Hindus," he said. "Maharashtra will not tolerate this. If there is even a little integrity left in Congress politicians, they must clarify their stand. Their allies should also make their position clear," he said, referring to Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) in the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance.

Fadnavis also objected to what he described as attempts to recast historical narratives. "History must be taught properly. The new narrative that is being written, which we condemn in the strongest words," he said.

The remarks drew support from Chandrashekhar Bawankule, who termed the comparison "extremely outrageous and an attack on Maharashtra's identity". He called it "an insult to the legendary Maratha warrior and a betrayal of history."

Later on Saturday evening, in a post on X, Sapkal said the valour of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is unparalleled, while Tipu Sultan was valiant and a lover of Swarajya. "It was by taking Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj as an ideal that he (Tipu Sultan) fought against the British," Sapkal said in the post.

He further hit out by claiming those following the ideology of the Sangh-BJP were slaves and spies of the British while Tipu Sultan was fighting the foreign rulers.

"Therefore, Devendra Fadnavis should not get into the pretence of teaching us history. The people of Maharashtra have not forgotten what all BJP-RSS, (former governor) Bhagatsingh Koshyari, along with others, spewed against Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, and how they disrespected him," Sapkal said.

Posting an image, the Maharashtra Congress chief said, "These are the pictures of both Shivaji Maharaj and Tipu Sultan on the original copy of the Constitution."

(with inputs from PTI)

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