R'sthan Cong chief terms Maharana Pratap 'power hungry', BJP demands apology

Jaipur, Feb 18 (IANS) A political war of words has erupted between the Rajasthan Congress and the BJP over Maharana Pratap after the Pradesh Congress Committee Chief, Govind Singh Dotasara said Maharana Pratap fought with Akbar to grab power.

Following this comment by Dotasara, the BJP has demanded a public apology from him, saying the fight was for protecting the country.

The controversy has been triggered by the Rajasthan PCC Chief, who during his Nagaur visit, said, "The previous BJP government had framed the school education curriculum on the lines of Vidya Bharati. It termed the fight between Maharana Pratap and Akbar as a 'religious fight' while it was a 'struggle for power'. The BJP sees everything through the religious prism of Hindu-Muslim."

Dotasara was slammed by BJP leaders from across the state asking him to apologise for insulting the brave warrior.

Former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje in her tweet said, "Congress has challenged the history of Mewar by calling the struggle of Maharana Pratap and his battle with Akbar as a fight for power. Maharana Pratap continued his lifelong resolve to protect the motherland. Maharana Pratap's war with Akbar was not a struggle for power, but for safeguarding national security. Congress must publicly apologise for insulting such a mighty warrior."

The Congress has been following an appeasement policy to make voters happy and believe that Akbar was great and therefore, false history was taught to students.

The Congress says that the famous Battle of Haldighati was a fight for power but the world knows that it was fought for safeguarding the country. The Congress just wants to make its vote bank happy but is unaware that history cannot be changed, said Rajasthan BJP President Satish Poonia.

Leader of Opposition, Gulab Chand Kataria said, "Pratap's life must be remembered for his fight for self-respect and values of the country. Ask anyone and you will get this response. If he wanted to rule, he would have chosen the line of Man Singh of Jaipur. But Pratap did not choose it. The habit of Congress is that they have always followed the policy of Muslim appeasement. That's why their party is losing its relevance and will lose their existence too. This is the main reason for the misery of the Congress today."

Dotasara had earlier also given controversial statements about Maharana Pratap and Akbar. While taking oath as a cabinet minister, he said experts will decide who was great among the two rulers. However, he later clarified his statement.

Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat slammed the PCC Chief and said, "The Mughals left, but left behind Congress agents who equated the fight for the honour of the motherland with that of power. On what basis is the Rajasthan Congress President saying that Maharana Pratap fought for power with Akbar?"

Shekhawat asked the Congress leader to apologise and warned, "It will be better not to drag the name of our Maharana Pratap next time for political gains."