28 April,2026 08:18 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Senior Maharashtra minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil (left). Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad. File Pic
Senior Maharashtra minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil on Tuesday strongly condemned Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad's remarks on Govind Pansare's book, stating that the use of abusive language amounted to an insult to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
The MLA should not make "delusional statements" that bring disrepute to the government as well as his party, the BJP leader said, the PTI reported.
Gaikwad, whose party is a constituent of the ruling BJP-led coalition, is at the centre of a controversy over his alleged offensive phone conversation regarding Pansare's book 'Shivaji Kon Hota?'.
"When Comrade Pansare was murdered in 2015, we had gone to Kolhapur and demanded that the assailants be arrested. Gaikwad needs to understand Pansare's stance. By using abusive language, one insults Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj," Vikhe Patil told PTI.
Gaikwad last week called the book's publisher, Prashant Ambi, and accused him of disrespecting Shivaji Maharaj, as the book's title refers to the iconic 17th-century ruler in the singular form instead of the honorific plural.
The MLA allegedly used abusive language and threatened to assault the publisher during the conversation, an audio clip of which later went viral. Gaikwad, however, claimed that the clip was doctored.
The controversial MLA had, in the past, allegedly assaulted canteen staff at the MLA Hostel in Mumbai over the quality of food, drawing criticism.
Pansare's book, first published decades ago and reprinted multiple times, portrays Shivaji Maharaj as a ruler who did not discriminate on the basis of religion.
Leaders and workers from the Congress, Maha Vikas Aghadi, Left parties, and the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi staged a protest near the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Shivaji Park in Dadar on Tuesday.
The protesters demanded the immediate filing of a case against MLA Sanjay Gaikwad and strict action against Dhirendra Shastri, alleging that the latter insulted Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
Last week, Maharashtra Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal launched a sharp attack on Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad, alleging that his remarks against a book publisher reflected a "criminal mindset" and questioning the state government's failure to act against him.
(With PTI inputs)
