Got bow and arrow symbol due to Shivaji Maharaj's blessings: CM Shinde

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday (February 19) said his faction of the Shiv Sena received the bow and arrow symbol due to the blessings of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

He was speaking at an event in Pune, where Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the first phase of Shivsrushti, a theme park based on the life of Shivaji Maharaj, on the occasion of the birth anniversary of the founder of the Maratha empire.

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“We will leave no stone unturned for the Shivsrushti project. Amit Shah is here today and many of you may not know that he is a staunch devotee of Shivaji Maharaj. He has done a huge study about the Maratha rulers and Shivaji Maharaj. He is also writing a book which will soon be published,” Shinde said.

The Election Commission (EC) on Friday (February 17) recognized the Shinde-led faction as the real Shiv Sena and ordered the allocation of the bow and arrow poll symbol to it, delivering a big blow to the rival camp led by former CM Uddhav Thackeray, whose father Bal Thackeray founded the outfit in 1966.

Also read: Be cautious as what happened to Shiv Sena can happen to you to too: Uddhav to political parties on EC order

On the occasion, Deputy Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis also praised the Union Minister, saying, “Amit Shah ji has done immense research on the life of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. He is writing a book on Shivaji Maharaj. The first phase of Shivsrushti is inaugurated by the right person.”

(With agency inputs)