BJP, Opposition spar over Shivaji Maharaj's birthdate

Nagpur: The state Legislative Assembly on Friday witnessed a ruckus over the birthdate of warrior king, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj during the adjournment motion.

The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Suresh Halwankar claimed that his actual date of birth was on April 8, 1630 as per research and ‘tithi’ (auspicious day based on Hindu calendar), and not February 19, 1630, which the previous government had announced.  His statement irked the Opposition members with several of them demanding that the comments be expunged. However, the statement was not expunged from records.

Jitendra Awhad from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) took strong exception to the comment and said that those who did not know history were creating confusion. NCP leader Ajit Pawar said February 19 had been finalised as the day “after thorough research” and was widely accepted.

He said the BJP was causing a rift with this baseless statement.  He asked that it be expunged from House records as it was also creating confusion.

Panel speaker Yogesh Sagar tried to pacify the opposition which, stormed the well of the house. But soon members from the treasury benches were also seen marching towards podium and slogans and counter slogans rent the air. It’s at this point that Speaker Haribhau Bagde came and ruled out the deletion of the remarks from record as it was a statement from a member. Finally, the statement was not expunged from record.

Date controversy

• There was a dispute about Shivaji’s birthday, which was considered to be on April 7, 1627 or Vaishakh Shuddha Dwitiya as per tithi (Marathi calendar).
• The Congress-NCP government appointed a committee of experts a few years ago, which discovered his date of birth was actually February 19, 1630, or Falgun Vadya Tritiya as per tithi.
• However, the Shiv Sena opposed the date set by the government and celebrates it in April.