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Tension intensified betwixt Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) functionaries implicit the Tipu Sultan contention connected Sunday (February 15, 2026) aft an FIR was filed against Congress person Harshvardhan Sapkal pursuing chromatic throwing adjacent Congress Bhavan, the office of the Congress successful Maharashtra’s Pune, erstwhile workers of some parties came look to face.
The BJP registered the FIR against Maharashtra Congress president Mr. Sapkal for his remark allegedly comparing Tipu Sultan to Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Dheeraj Ghate, BJP Pune metropolis president, registered the FIR, stating that Harshvardhan Sapkal’s connection had wounded the sentiments of radical who revere Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and insulted the Maharaj. The FIR was filed precocious connected Saturday (February 14, 2026) nighttime astatine Parvati constabulary station.
On Sunday afternoon, chromatic throwing took place, with immoderate radical injured and immoderate vehicles damaged, arsenic per the police.
Mr. Sapkal condemned the chromatic throwing and slammed the BJP, alleging that the Pune incidental was grounds that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis wanted to incite riots successful the State by twisting his statement. “In the beingness of the police, BJP workers threw stones, launching a life-threatening onslaught connected Congress women workers and women journalists. Pune Police indispensable instantly registry cases and apprehension those liable for instigating the rioters, including Dheeraj Ghate and Mayor Manjusha Nagpure.”
According to the Congress, the BJP protested extracurricular Congress Bhavan and Congress workers gathered successful enactment of their State president. Congress person Prashant Jagtap slammed the BJP for twisting the statement, saying they were elevating the contented to fell the Metro 4 mishap and the connection of Bhagatsingh Koshyari connected Shivaji Maharaj. Dheeraj Ghate alleged that Congress workers threw stones erstwhile the protestation ended peacefully, asking, “We did the protestation by the book, truthful wherefore did Congress workers travel unneurotic successful immense numbers, having woody sticks.”
The contention was triggered connected Saturday aft Shiv Sena protested the installation of Tipu Sultan’s representation successful the bureau of the recently elected lawman politician successful Malegaon, which was aboriginal removed. The BJP protested aft Mr. Sapkal called Tipu Sultan a brave warrior who fought the British and asked that helium beryllium viewed connected a par with Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Chief Minister Fadnavis called the examination “unacceptable”.
On Sunday, the BJP protested successful Pune arsenic good arsenic Mumbai by putting achromatic ink connected photographs of Harshvardhan Sapkal and burning his effigies. Mr. Sapkal asked, “How is Devendra Fadnavis comfy with Tipu Sultan’s photograph connected BJP posters and banners during municipal elections? Is an confederation with the communal AIMIM acceptable?” The names of BJP leaders person appeared successful the Epstein files; determination is the contented of a commercialized statement with the United States, and determination are burning issues successful the State arsenic well. They are diverting attraction from these halfway issues.
Mr. Sapkal besides pointed retired that the BJP planned to march to the Congress bureau and pain his effigies connected Tuesday (February 17), asking, “Will the BJP besides pain the effigies of Savarkar and Koshyari for their statements astir Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj? Savarkar referred to Shivaji Maharaj’s Hindavi Swarajya arsenic a ‘coincidental lawsuit [like a crow sitting and a subdivision breaking].”
