Spiritual guru Dhirendra Shastri (Bageshwar Baba) has clarified the controversy over his recent statements on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Nagpur on Sunday. He said that his statement was misinterpreted on social media. Shastri said that the concept of Swaraj and Hindu Rashtra that I respect, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj has the highest place. Far from speaking negatively about him, I cannot even think in my dreams.
"If the Hindu society is alive today, then the biggest credit goes to Shivaji Maharaj," he said, amid the outrage expressed by various Marathi organisations, including the Sambhaji Brigade, that they have not insulted Shivaji Maharaj.
"We have heard from saints and great personalities that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj had deep reverence for saints and deep loyalty to his guru Samarth Ramdas Swami. We did not say this to insult anyone. Our aim was only to highlight his greatness by how deeply he was devoted to the saints, but a small fraction was cut out of context."
