Remove Dadoji Konddev Statue From Lal Mahal - Activists and Historians

Konddeo's statue will be shifted in 24 hrs: Mayor

TNN, Aug 26, 2010, 04.52am IST

PUNE: The statue of Dadoji Konddeo will be removed from the historic Lal Mahal, which was the residence of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, within 24 hours.

The assurance was given by Pune mayor Mohansingh Rajpal on Wednesday to protesting Lokshasan Andolan members, who were led by former justices P B Sawant and B G Kolse Patil.

The protestors had gheraoed the PMC headquarters in large numbers for more than five hours, demanding the removal of the statue from Lal Mahal. Meanwhile, 53 protestors were arrested late on Thursday evening. Senior inspector Sampat Patil of the Shivajinagar police, however, said, "We will release them on bail."

Konddeo's statue is part of a sculpture depicting Chhatrapati Shivaji, along with Jijamata, tilling the soil of Pune with a golden plough. Konddeo, according to some historians, guided Shivaji during his childhood. However, some historians say that he was not Shivaji's teacher.

"We will ensure that the statue is removed from Lal Mahal within 24 hours. I will place the issue before all party leaders and, by tomorrow (Thursday) evening, the statue will be removed. I promise that we will not retract on this stand," said Rajpal while speaking to the protestors.

Standing committee chairman and Congress corporator Arvind Shinde supported the mayor's stand and said the statue will be removed without any delay.

In a late evening development, Rajpal handed over a letter to the civic administration directing removal of the statue.

Speaking to TOI, Rajpal said, "When the statue was erected, the General Body's permission was not taken. Also, we considered the fact that the state government had stopped giving awards in the name of Konddeo and that his reference as guru of Shivaji has been deleted from the textbook. The state government has already said that there is nothing to prove that Konddeo was Chhatrapati Shivaji's guru. It is necessary to maintain law and order in the city."

Read more: Konddeo's statue will be shifted in 24 hrs: Mayor - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/Konddeos-statue-will-be-shifted-in-24-hrs-Mayor/articleshow/6436255.cms#ixzz13pl6xLI5

PMC to appoint committee of historians to decide on Konddeo statue [Pune]

PUNE: Mayor Mohansingh Rajpal on Monday announced that a committee of historians will be formed by November 15 to decide the fate of the Dadoji Konddeo statue in Lal Mahal.
The proposal to appoint a committee of historians to bring historical facts' before the General Body (GB) of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) had come up for discussion at the GB.
The mayor said, "By November 15 the committee will be appointed and later decision on this matter will be taken." All parties supported the proposal while independent corporator Ujwal Keskar opposed it saying that there was no need to appoint any such committee and the PMC GB should take the decision.
In August following the agitation by the Lokshasan Andolan members, who were led by former justices P B Sawant and B G Kolse Patil demanding removal of the statue, Mayor Rajpal had stated that the statue of Dadoji Konddeo will be removed within 24 hours from the historic Lal Mahal, which was the residence of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
However, later he changed his stand and said that a committee will be appointed in the matter and only then the decision will be taken.
Konddeo's statue is part of a sculpture depicting Chhatrapati Shivaji, along with Jijamata, tilling the soil of Pune with a golden plough. Konddeo, according to some historians, guided Shivaji during his childhood. However, some historians say that he was not Shivaji's teacher.
In January 2004, over 150 members of the Sambhaji Brigade, affiliated to the Maratha Seva Sangh, had attacked Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute (Bori) here for helping' American author James Laine, who had made some objectionable remarks about Chhatrapati Shivaji in his book, Shivaji: Hindu King In Islamic India'. Since the attack, the demand for removal of Konddeo's statue had gained momentum.
Laine's book, published by Oxford University Press in early 2003, led to widespread protests and vandalism. The Maharashtra government banned the book. The Supreme Court upheld the decision of the Bombay High Court to lift the ban on the book, which, according to the state government, contained material promoting social enmity.

Remove Konddeo statue immediately: Sambhaji Brigade

TNN, Oct 28, 2010, 10.59pm IST

 

PUNE: The Pune Municipal Corporation should immediately remove Dadoji Konddeo's statue from the Lal Mahal, instead of buying time by appointing a committee of historians to decide its fate, said the Sambhaji Brigade here on Thursday.

Activists of the Sambhaji Brigade, which is affiliated to the Maratha Seva Sangh, gheraoed mayor Mohansingh Rajpal on the PMC premises to put forward their demand. The activists said there is no point in appointing a committee of historians, since a state-appointed panel had already concluded that Konddeo was not Chhatrapati Shivaji's guru.

On Monday, Rajpal had announced that a committee of historians will be formed by November 15 to decide whether the statue should be removed from the Lal Mahal.

In August, following an agitation by the Lokshasan Andolan, led by former justices P B Sawant and B G Kolse Patil, demanding removal of the statue, Rajpal had said the statue would be removed within 24 hours from the historic Lal Mahal, which was the residence of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. He later changed his stand and said a committee would be appointed to look into the matter and only then would a decision be taken.