BJP MLC Gopichand Padalkar. (File)BJP MLC Gopichand Padalkar was on Tuesday stopped by the police from entering Chondi, the birthplace of warrior queen Ahilya Holkar in Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar district. The BJP leader was proceeding to Chondi, along with hundreds of followers, to pay respects to Holkar on her birth anniversary when the police stopped him five kilometres away from the place, Padalkar said.
The NCP had organised a function at Chondi, attended by party president Sharad Pawar, to celebrate the 297th birth anniversary of Holkar. The police action against Padalkar was to avert any clash between BJP and NCP workers at the event, officers said. The BJP leader was allowed to proceed after the NCP function was over, they added.
Padaklar, however, vented his anger against the ruling party. “Chondi is not Pawar’s kingdom. They cannot hijack Ahilyabai Holkar’s birth anniversary. It is an event where people across the state are allowed. This is the first time that the NCP is using police force to stop the BJP,” he lashed out. “This is an insult to people. Nobody has ever stopped people from visiting and offering respect to Ahilyabai Holkar,” he added.
“In the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) regime, do we require their permission to step in Chondi? Do we need any permission to visit Shivaji Maharaj’s birthplace? What kind of culture is the NCP promoting in Maharashtra,” Padalkar asked.
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Ryat Kranti Party president Sadabhau Khot also was stopped by the police from entering Chondi. The former minister too slammed the ruling party. “The NCP’s high-handedness to insult opponents and the public by disallowing us to visit Chondi and offer respect to Ahilyabai Holkar will not be tolerated by Maharashtra. People will give them a befitting reply,” he said.
On Tuesday, Raja Holkar of the royal family made an ardent appeal to everyone to commemorate Ahilyabai Holkar’s birth anniversary peacefully and not mix it with politics. “It is a very sacred event. We should retain its sanctity. We all are here to offer our respect to Ahilyabai Holkar. This is not a political function. Everybody should respect it,” he said. Earlier in the day, he felicitated Pawark along with other activists.
Earlier, BJP vice-president Ram Shinde said, “NCP was hijacking the event. It wanted to gain political mileage.” The manner in which the function was held is questionable, he said, adding that opposition parties were ignored as the NCP promoted its leaders.
A brave Maratha queen, Ahilyabai Holkar took over the reins of the Holkar dynasty after the death of her husband Khanda Rao Holkar and father-in-law Malhar Rao Holkar. She defended the Malwa state against intruders by taking to the battlefield herself and leading armed battles along with her military commander Tukoji Rao Holkar. Ahilyabai was also noted for her work on reconstruction of Hindu temples and pilgrimage sites desecrated by Mughal ruler Aurangzeb.
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