Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday unveiled the statue of Thorle Bajirao Peshwa at the National Defence Academy (NDA) in Pune's Khadakwasla.
The 13.5-foot-tall, 4,000-kg bronze statue has been donated to the premier defence institute by the Shreemath Thorle Bajirao Peshwa Pratishthan.
Watch Video:
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil and Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol, among others, attended the function.
Speaking at the event, Shah said the NDA campus is the most appropriate location for Thorle Bajirao's memorial.
"NDA is the most appropriate place for his memorial as it is the academy where military leadership is being trained," Shah said. "Had the battle for independence started by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and taken forward by the Peshwas for 100 years not been fought, India's basic structure would have ceased to exist," Shah added. "In his life of 40 years, Peshwa Bajirao wrote an immortal history which no other person could write," he further added.
Shah's unveiling of the statue comes amid heightened political discourse in Pune, following BJP Rajya Sabha MP Medha Kulkarni's demand to rename Pune Railway Station after Thorle Bajirao.
Kulkarni had said, "Be it a railway station or an airport, a city's history is attached to it. However, Pune railway station is the only one where there is nothing that reflects the city's rich history. Though Pune is the cultural capital of the state, no heritage glimpses are present at its railway station that can connect it to the city's history."
"Pune station should be named after Shrimant Thorle Bajirao Peshwa. The great warrior Bajirao fought a total of 42 major battles and won all of them with his unique war skills. With the inspiration of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the beloved deity of our country, Bajirao made an invaluable contribution to expanding the Maratha Empire," she added.
However, her demand has met with opposition from several quarters.
NCP (SP) spokesperson Ankush Kakade said, "Pune has a rich history, and the city is well-known. The railway station's name should not be changed. If there is such a move, the Railway Ministry should rename it after reformists Jyotiba Phule or Gopal Krishna Gokhale."
Santosh Shinde of the Sambhaji Brigade said, "We will appeal to all political parties and social organisations to oppose the demand. Maharashtra has a tradition of spreading progressive thoughts, and if the government wants to change the name of the railway station, it should be renamed after Jyotiba Phule or Savitribai Phule."
AAP leader and social activist Vijay Kumbhar said, "The demand for changing the name is not only bad but also childish, costly and pointless. This idea is a creation of empty brains and a deliberate attempt to bring a pointless topic into public debate. There is no public interest in such a decision. Changing the signs, amending documents, maps, technical systems, and many government documents – this wastes crores of rupees. It also creates great confusion among passengers, especially tourists. Instead, it is necessary to focus on improving public transport, service facilities, cleanliness, security levels, and the overall development of the station. People will not get anything by changing the name – they want quality services."
