Nagpur: Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, the head of Bageshwar Dham, issued a public apology on Sunday for his remarks about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, which had sparked widespread protests across Maharashtra. Shastri claimed that his "sentiments" were misinterpreted.
Speaking to reporters at a religious discourse program in Nagpur, Shastri stated that his comments about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Samarth Ramdas Swami, made last week in the presence of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, were intended with reverence. "I presented my sentiments with a lot of respect for the great Hindu king, the one who envisioned a Hindu Rashtra. I spoke about it in my style, but it was misunderstood," Shastri said.
The controversy arose when Shastri claimed that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj approached Ramdas Swami to handle the administration of his kingdom. This assertion was met with strong criticism from historians and politicians, who dismissed it as inaccurate. Shastri emphasized that he could never dream of insulting Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. "It is from him that I took the inspiration for the vision of a Hindu Rashtra. He is the greatest king that our country had," he added.
Shortly after his apology, Shastri moved to the stage, which featured a large cutout of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the background, to begin his religious discourse. Earlier in the day, Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar called Shastri a "fraud" masquerading as a godman. Protests were also held by Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Sambhaji Brigade, condemning Shastri's remarks.
The incident has reignited debates about historical narratives and the role of religious figures in public discourse. Shastri's apology, however, appears to have done little to quell the anger among his critics, who continue to demand accountability for what they perceive as a deliberate distortion of history.
