Vaishvik Hindu Rashtra Mahotsav (2024) : Protecting the Dignity of Hindu Culture and Icons of Faith

Firmly decide to free forts, sanctified by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, from Islamic encroachments! – Nitin Shinde, State President, Hindu Ekta Andolan, Maharashtra

Nitin Shinde, State President, Hindu Ekta Andolan, Maharashtra

Ramnath Devasthan : An illegal dargah was constructed around Afzal Khan’s tomb at the foot of Pratapgarh in Satara district of Maharashtra. Apart from that 19 rooms were also added in the area. Chandeliers were brought in from Pakistan for this shrine. It is outrageous that the fort where Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj killed Afzal Khan and showed the world how to end Islamic terror is now falling prey to encroachment.

I raised this issue in the Maharashtra Legislative Council in 2001 and later the ‘Shri Shivpratapbhumi Mukti Andolan’ was started. It was supported by various Hindu organisations including the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti.

After the agitation started, 3 orders were passed by the High Court, depite this the illegal construction was not demolished during the tenure of the Congress. After the BJP-Shiv Sena pro-Hindu government came to power, we consistently followed up with Forest Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar. Finally, all these encroachments were evicted on Shiv Pratap Day (December 10, 2023). In the same way, let us firmly decide to free the forts of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj from Islamic encroachment in the future.

Many illegal structures have come up in the Rehan Malik Dargah area of Vishalgad. Chickens are sacrificed on the fort. This destroys the sanctity of the fort. We then raised the Vishalgad Mukti Andolan. This movement has demanded that the government act immediately to demolish the 164 illegal structures that have been built on Vishalgad, restore and rejuvenate the monuments and temples at Vishalgad, immediately stop the Urus (festival organized on the death anniversary of a Muslim priest) and animal sacrifice there. At present the animal sacrifice has been halted, but our movement will continue till the encroachments are removed. At present many forts in the state of Maharashtra have been encroached upon and we have to put in efforts to evict them.

The hall erupted with slogans like ‘Jai Bhavani, Jai Shivaji’, ‘Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj ki Jai’, ‘Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj ki Jai’, ‘Aai Bhavani Shakti De, Malanggadala Mukti De!’