Shiv Sena MP Rahul Shewale hopeful of Padmashri to Babasaheb Purandare

Amid the controversy over conferring of Maharashtra Bhushan award to Babasaheb Purandare, a Shiv Sena MP is seeking Padmashri honour from the central government for the 93-year-old historian.

"An under secretary in the Union home ministry has sent me a letter, asking to provide information in prescribed format about Purandare, for consideration for the Padmashri honour," said Rahul Shewale, Sena MP from Mumbai-South-Central.

"I have submitted the information in the manner asked for, to the central government...I am sure that the central government will take an appropriate decision and honour Purandare the way Maharashtra government did by bestowing the state governments' highest award," he said.

"When the state government in May had decided to confer Maharashtra Bhushan to Purandare, I had written to the central government, seeking Padmashri honour for him," Shewale said.

Meanwhile, NCP MLA Jitendra Awhad, a staunch opponent of the award being given to Purandare, garlanded the bust of Shivaji Maharaj at Dadar's Shivaji Park here.

"Today is a black day in the history of Maharashtra. One who questioned Shivaji Maharaj's parentage is being granted state recognition," he added.

"With folded hands, we said sorry to Shivaji Maharaj and apologised that we could not stop his defamation," Awhad said. He told reporters that MNS chief Raj Thackeray, by linking Purandare's award to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis' Brahmin caste, had given the issue a casteist touch.

"Caste politics is being played in Maharashtra since the last two days," Awhad said.