Shivaji an inspiration for those fighting injustice, exploitation, says RSS chief

Mumbai, Mar 31: Invoking the memory of warrior king Shivaji's rule, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Saturday asked who should be blamed for the changed times where women's safety is not guaranteed and the country needs to protest against corruption.

"Shivaji Maharaj is a source of inspiration for all those who want to fight against injustice and exploitation. Shivaji (his life) is a guide book in himself, who never discriminated against anybody on the basis of faith," Bhagwat said.

He was addressing a gathering to mark the death anniversary of the 17th century Maratha king as per the traditional Shalivahan calendar at Raigad Fort in neighbouring Raigad district.

"Shivaji is needed in every house; he should be born in my house. We should start from ourselves," Bhagwat said.

He was apparently referring to an old Marathi saying, Shivaji should be born but not in my house' (A hero is needed, but let us not have any trouble in my house). "There is no guaranty that our mothers and sisters can walk on streets safely all the time, why has this come to pass? When the fort (Raigad) was repaired (when Shivaji made it his capital in the 17th century), workers found a pot of gold, but not a single coin was stolen. And in such a country, a time came when we needed to stage a protest against corruption, who is to blame?" the RSS chief asked.

Meanwhile, eyebrows were raised as the invitation card of the program, to which RSS chief was invited, also featured the name of Aditi Tatkare, the daughter of state NCP president Sunil Tatkare. The NCP leader later clarified that his daughter's name was printed as per the protocol, as she is the chairperson of the Raigad Zilla Parishad and it was an official program. Both Tatkare and his daughter skipped the event.

PTI