However, MNS chief Raj Thackeray alleged that some Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)-minded BJP ministers are fanning the flames of the controversy to remove chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. Thackeray said Maratha-OBC ministers are not able to digest a Brahmin as the chief minister. "It is unfortunate and sad," he added.
Ministers in the BJP-Sena government are finding themselves in a tight spot over the decision to confer Maharashtra Bhushan award on historian Babasaheb Purandare.
However, MNS chief Raj Thackeray alleged that some Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)-minded BJP ministers are fanning the flames of the controversy to remove chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. Thackeray said Maratha-OBC ministers are not able to digest a Brahmin as the chief minister. "It is unfortunate and sad," he added.
Saying it's easy for Thackeray to accuse them, a senior BJP minister from Marathwada retorted, "We are from the majority caste, as is our vote bank. If we speak against them, they will not allow us to come back to our constituency. People are very sensitive regarding the Shivaji and Jijabai issue and will not tolerate anything against them. There's a perception that Mr Purandare maligned our idols through his falsified writings. Therefore, we are more worried and cautious."
In the backdrop of a threat from Sambhaji Brigade, the state government on Wednesday deployed heavy security around bungalows of BJP and Shiv Sena ministers to avoid any untoward incident, even as Jijabai Brigade activists managed to barge into education and cultural minister Vinod Tawde's bungalow.
The Sambhaji Brigade and various Bahujan organisations are against the state's decision, with the former's members on Tuesday vandalising the office of home minister for state Ram Shinde.
"Maratha-OBC is the majority caste in almost all constituencies. If we defend the chief minister's decision, our voters will get angry... that ire can cost us dear in the upcoming elections. We may say that caste does not make matter, but it is a major factor in polls. Most of the time voting happens on the basis of caste. Therefore, we decided not to speak on the issue," said another senior BJP minister.
"I am sure that today it may not seem so, but this issue is going to cost the party; it will be big setback. We are really confused. The chief minister should be cautious while implementing RSS's ideology."
A Sena minister said that supporting Purandare (Brahmin) openly means pleasing a small percentage of people and inviting the ire of the majority (Maratha-OBC). "It is a very sensitive and delicate issue; hence, we decided not speak on it. We want to do long-term politics, not end it by criticising our own caste's youths," he said.
The opposition, on the other hand, left no stone unturned in being vocal about its opposition to the government's decision. NCP legislator Jitendra Awhad told dna that Wednesday is a black day in the history of Maharashtra because Fadnavis went ahead, ignoring the protests of various organisations, to honour Purandare.
"We apologise that the state government did not cancel the award. It has endorsed Mr Purandare's writing, who had made derogatory remarks against Shivaji, Jijabai and Shahaji Raje. However, we will not stop or bend down... We will continue our protest and spread the true and authentic history of Shivaji Maharaj," he added.
Interestingly, the government avoided putting 'historian' on the shield presented to Purandare, only addressing him as writer, thinker and Shahir (balladeer).
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