Following widespread outrage over his remarks, Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal on Wednesday (February 18, 2026) apologised unconditionally to followers of Chhatrapati Shivaji. Any hurt caused to their sentiments was unintended and deeply regretted, Mr. Sapkal said.
In an appeal issued two days before Shivaji Jayanti, the birth anniversary of the Maratha warrior king, Mr. Sapkal sought to put the controversy to rest. The Maratha ruler remained his foremost inspiration and there could be no comparison between Chhatrapati Shivaji and any other historical figure, he said.
“If my words, even in a misinterpreted form, have caused pain to those who revere Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, I sincerely apologise. That was never my intent,” Mr. Sapkal said in a message addressed to the public. His earlier remarks had been made in response to a query on the display of portraits of historical personalities in government establishments to foster unity, he said.
The radical and enduring legacy of Shivaji
He had only made a factual observation regarding Tipu Sultan, drawing inspiration from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s resistance against the British, Mr. Sapkal said. A 70-second portion of his speech had been deliberately taken out of context by his political opponents to stoke religious tensions, he added. Citing recent protests in Pune, he said the controversy had been amplified to create religious friction.
