Shivaji Maharaj's mother shaped his life, no one else: Sharad Pawar's veiled dig at Yogi

Senior politician Sharad Pawar on Monday said Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharajs mother Jijabai was the only person responsible for shaping his life and character.He said some people are deliberately trying to give the credit for mentoring Shivaji Maharaj to other persons, a remark coming days after Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath hailed Samarth Ramdas Swamy for shaping the life and character of the 17th-century king.Pawar was addressing an event in Pune after paying tribute to Chhatrapati Shivaji on his birth anniversary.Some people refer to certain names and give them credit for shaping the life of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

Senior politician Sharad Pawar on Monday said Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's mother Jijabai was the only person responsible for shaping his life and character.

He said some people are deliberately trying to give the credit for mentoring Shivaji Maharaj to other persons, a remark coming days after Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath hailed Samarth Ramdas Swamy for shaping the life and character of the 17th-century king.

Pawar was addressing an event in Pune after paying tribute to Chhatrapati Shivaji on his birth anniversary.

''Some people refer to certain names and give them credit for shaping the life of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. However, the fact is that the only person who was instrumental in Maharaj's life was his mother Rajmata Jijau,'' said Pawar. He said deliberate attempts to create misunderstanding about Shivaji Maharaj's mentors should be avoided. Addressing a religious programme in Pune district, Adityanath had said Samarth Ramdas Swami had ''created Shivaji Maharaj from this land''.

''Samarth Ramdas had created Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj from this land, who challenged Mughal emperor Aurangzeb's power and left him to suffer and die,'' he had said. Pawar added that Shivaji Maharaj, unlike other kings India had seen, continues to rule the hearts of the people even after 300 years.

''Several kings ruled in India and their kingdoms were named after their respective names or dynasties. But Chhatrapati Shivaji's kingdom was called 'the kingdom of the ryot (people)' and not as the Bhonsale dynasty,'' the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) leader added.