The equestrian statue of Maharana Pratap was inaugurated at the Connaught Park in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar by the country's Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, state Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and Rajasthan Governor Haribhau Bagde. The inauguration of this grand monument, built at a cost of about one crore rupees, was celebrated with great enthusiasm. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis presided over the program.
Maharana Pratap is a symbol of bravery, self-respect and unity.
Speaking at the ceremony, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh spoke about the valour of Maharana Pratap. He said, "Maharana Pratap was not just a warrior, but a symbol of ideal leadership, self-respect and social unity. He ate grass bread, but did not compromise on honor. Taking inspiration from his work, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj established Swarajya."
Rajnath Singh further said, "Maharana Pratap's bravery and sacrifice have not been appreciated as they should have been till date. Many times, false and distorted views have been presented in the name of history. It is our moral responsibility to explain the true and inspiring history to future generations."
"Aurangzeb was glorified"
On this occasion, he strongly criticized the glorification of Aurangzeb. "Aurangzeb was not a heroic man. If we change the name of Aurangabad to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, what is wrong with that? In our country and in the tradition of valor, rulers like Aurangzeb cannot become heroes," he expressed his firm opinion.
"The ideal of secularism is Maharana and Shivaji"
Giving an example of not ruling on the basis of religion, Rajnath Singh said, "One of Shivaji Maharaj's bodyguards was a Muslim. Shivaji Maharaj himself had painted a portrait of Maharana Pratap. Our ideals were never against Muslims, on the contrary, they respected all religions."