Maharashtra Bhushan to Babasaheb Purandare an insult to nation: Digvijay Singh

MUMBAI: Senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh has opposed BJP-led state government's decision to confer prestigious ' Maharashtra Bhushan' award to 92-year-old historian Babasaheb Purandare and said that it is "an insult to the nation".

"Awarding BM Purandare, who distorted the history of Shivaji Maharaj, with the title of 'Maharashtra Bhushan' is an insult to the nation," the Congress leader tweeted.

"Distorting history is RSS agenda and I strongly condemn their attack on MLA Jitendra Awhad, who is a relentless fighter against communal forces," he added.

The controversy about the Maharashtra government's decision to honour Shivshahir Babasaheb Purandare has become murkier, especially after members of the Shivpratishthan disrupted an event on Sunday spearheaded by Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and MLA Jitendra Awhad.

Awhad has opposed the Maharashtra state government's decision and the Sambhaji Brigade, which supports Awhad's stand, has said it wouls reply aggressively to such attacks in the future.

After the BJP-led state government announced the prestigious Maharashtra Bhushan award for Purandare earlier this year, the Sambhaji Brigade and other Maratha-dominated organisations have openly opposed the decision, including Awhad, who held public rallies highlighting the issue.

Awhad held a public meeting in Pune recently and during Sunday's event in Sangli district, Shivpratishthan members climbed onto the dais and disrupted the gathering.

Meanwhile, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, in a letter to Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis, sought adequate protection for Jitendra Awhad.

"I am confident that you would not want anything untoward to happen to Awhad. As the CM and as head of the home department, you cannot evade your responsibility," Pawar stated in his letter.

"Awhad is a prominent Other Backward Caste (OBC) leader and an active member of the Assembly. I am sure that you will take due cognisance of the threats to him," Pawar stated in his letter.