Leaders from all three parties in the ruling coalition in Maharashtra, Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena, on Sunday criticised the book, 'Today's Shivaji Narendra Modi', written by BJP leader Jai Bhagwan Goyal and termed it an 'insult' to the ideals of the great Maratha king.
"We condemn the attempt to equate Narendra Modiji with Shivaji Maharaj by the Delhi office of the BJP. Shivaji Maharaj was known for his values and ideology which kept everyone together and established Swarajya. All those ideals are being threatened here and the status of Shivaji Maharaj is being brought down," Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant told reporters on Sunday.
Similarly, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut also criticized the book and its author by alleging that Goyal had earlier "abused Maharashtra and Marathi people."
"Writer of this book which was released in BJP office, Jai Bhagwan Goyal, who is he? This Jay Bhagwan Goyal is the same person who had attacked Maharashtra Sadan in Delhi and had abused Shivaji Maharaj's Maharashtra and Marathi people. Well done BJP !!!" Raut's tweet, roughly translated in English from Marathi, read.
NCP leader and Cabinet minister in the Maharashtra government, Dhananjay Munde also put out a tweet criticising the book, in which he said that "nobody can match the greatness of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj."
Earlier yesterday, through a tweet, BJP leader Goyal had shared photos of his book release in an event held at the party headquarters in New Delhi.
BJP Delhi in-charge Shyam Jaju and other leaders were present at the launch of the book, according to another tweet by the BJP leader.
( With inputs from ANI )