Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday slammed Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Aaditya Thackeray for allegedly questioning the authenticity of the metallic wagh-nakh (‘tiger claws’) used by the Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji.
Mr. Fadnavis said Mr. Thackeray’s questions were “childish” and not “worthy of a response.”
Uddhav unconvinced
Addressing a press conference on Saturday, Mr. Thackeray asked if the ‘wagh nakh’ being brought to Maharashtra from a museum in the United Kingdom did indeed belong to Chhatrapati Shivaji or if it was from another era. He also wanted to know if the object would stay or whether it was on loan.
Mr. Thackeray based his comments on information available on the website of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, where the weapon is currently kept.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a cleanliness event in Mumbai, Mr. Fadnavis said: “The Shiv Sena has a history of raising such insulting questions. (Rajya Sabha MP) Sanjay Raut had once questioned the lineage of Chhatrapati Shivaji. Aaditya Thackeray’s question is childish. I do not want to respond to it.”
Celebrated battle
The metallic wagh-nakh (tiger claws) was used by the Maratha warrior king to kill Afzal Khan - the 17th century general of Bijapur’s Adil Shahi dynasty. Shivaji’s daring exploits and the subsequent battle of Pratapgadh (believed to have taken place on November 10, 1659) have since been widely celebrated in Marathi ballads and folklore and are a centrepiece of the warrior king’s career.
Earlier this month, BJP leader and Maharashtra Cultural Affairs Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar had said the State government would bring the ‘wagh nakh’ to Maharashtra in November where it would be made available for public display.
Mr. Mungantiwar said that on October 3, the State government would be signing an MoU in London to bring the weapon back.
