Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday strongly responded to the controversy surrounding Tipu Sultan, saying that years of “manipulated history” have misled the country.
His comments came in response to statements by Maharashtra Congress President Harsh Vardhan Sapkal, who reportedly suggested that Tipu Sultan should be considered equal to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. He criticized the “distortion of historical facts” for political gain. He said that India respects all patriotic citizens, but “invaders” will never be accepted as national symbols in Maharashtra.
Responding to the debate over the Governor’s speech, the Chief Minister said, “Unfortunately, the true history of this land has never been taught correctly. We have no objection to the many patriotic Muslims in this country. However, those who consider anti-national elements and invaders as heroes are picking a fight with us, and we will not back down.”
CM Fadnavis clarified that the main objection was not whether Tipu Sultan was a “good or bad” ruler, but rather the attempt to equate him with the Maratha icon, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. He said, “Our objection is to the claim that Tipu Sultan was as great a king as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, or should be glorified in the same way. For years, history has been distorted to teach us that Tipu Sultan was a great king, while conveniently concealing the fact that he was responsible for the massacre of 75,000 Hindus and 33,000 Nairs.” He further argued that Tipu Sultan’s fight against the British was a matter of self-preservation to save his kingdom rather than a struggle for the country’s independence.
CM Fadnavis stressed a major change in the way education is taught under the current central government. He pointed out the differences between previous textbooks and the current curriculum. He said, “The previous curriculum devoted 17 pages to Mughal history, while the history of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was confined to one paragraph. In the current curriculum of the Modi government, the history of the Marathas and Shivaji Maharaj has been expanded to 20 pages in NCERT books.”
He said, “If correct history had been taught at the right time, not a single Muslim in this country would consider Aurangzeb a hero.”
He stressed that there are many “patriotic Muslims” in the country with whom there are no complaints, but the government will strongly oppose those who idolize invaders and enemies of the country.
CM Fadnavis emphasized that Shivaji Maharaj fought for self-rule, while Tipu Sultan’s legacy has been tarnished by the “massacre of thousands of Hindus.”
He said that this comparison has deeply hurt people’s sentiments, leading to the recent clashes in Pune and Mumbai. As Home Minister, he had warned that the government would not tolerate the “glorification” of anyone who incited communal tension under the guise of historical honour.
