Clarion India
NEW DELHI – As the Bollywood movie ‘Chhava’, based on the rule of Maratha king Chhatrapati Sambhaji, is gaining massive traction, it is also creating anti-Muslim frenzy due to the negative portrayal of Mughal ruler Aurangzeb in the film.
Recently, a group of tourists from Maharashtra at Agra Fort in Uttar Pradesh humiliated a local guide named Sageer Baig by forcing him to rub his nose on the ground before a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, founder of the Maratha Empire who ruled in the 17th century AD.
The incident reportedly occurred when Baig was explaining the historical facts about the Mughal ruler and Maratha ruler. The tourists got angry when he mentioned that Shivaji was once held captive at the fort, a well-documented historical event. Baig’s revelation triggered anger among tourists who attacked him aggressively, forcing him to accept his “mistake”.
A video of the assault that surfaced on social media platforms on Wednesday, February 26, shows the Maharashtrian tourists screaming at Baig, pushing him down aggressively and forcing him to rub his nose in front of a statue of Shivaji.
Baig, visibly seen in distressed condition, was released only after he apologised and followed the demands of the tourists.
In recent times, public debates about the Maratha Empire and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s narrative have reached a peak, particularly after the release of Chhaava, a historical action movie depicting the life of Shivaji’s elder son Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj who ruled from 1681 to 1689 as the second king of the Maratha Empire.
