Social media user Payal Rohatgi, who is known for her controversial comments regarding Hinduism, is facing heat for another one of her remarks.
Writing about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the great king who is still worshipped for his actions promoting social welfare, wrote,” Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaja was born in Shudra varna in family of farmers & by sacred thread ceremony & remarriage to his spouse made a Kshatriya so that he could be coronated King So people from one Varna could go to another Varna if they acquired that skill. NO casteism?”.
Rohatgi faced a lot of backlash for calling Shivaji Maharaj a “Shudra”.
chhatrapati shivaji maharaja was born in #shudra varna in family of farmers & by sacred thread ceremony & remarriage to his spouse made a #kshtriaya so that he could be coronated #King So people from 1 Varna could go 2 another Varna if they acquired that skill NO casteism ? pic.twitter.com/AKBjvHJ1SI
— PAYAL ROHATGI & Team -BHAKTS of BHAGWAN RAM (@Payal_Rohatgi) June 1, 2019
Soon, users flooded Twitter with their vies opposing and supporting Rohatgi.
This is absolute nonsense. Shivaji maharaj was not born in a shudra family. His coronation (rajyabhishek) was opposed by brahmins because Maharaj had not had his munja ceremony (upanayanam) in time and had lost kshatriya status and became a shudra/vratya. https://t.co/24z8MvtuNa
— वासिष्ठ (@PoliPuran) June 2, 2019
This is absolute nonsense. Shivaji maharaj was not born in a shudra family. His coronation (rajyabhishek) was opposed by brahmins because Maharaj had not had his munja ceremony (upanayanam) in time and had lost kshatriya status and became a shudra/vratya. https://t.co/24z8MvtuNa
— वासिष्ठ (@PoliPuran) June 2, 2019
An NCP MLA, Dr Jitendra Awhad came forward as and ‘warned’ Rohatgi and accused her of ‘distorting history’.
“Now take it as a warning don’t distort history be where you are on 3rd page but please don’t comment on things which you are unaware about”, he wrote. NCP has filed an official complaint against her.
Shivaji Maharaj born in Kshatriya Varna not in shudhra! Your quotation is absolutly wrong payal.And you have no right to speak on Chatrapati Shivaji,its absolutely bad with Hindu dharm and with you too.
— Ganesh Langhe (@GaneshLanghe1) June 3, 2019
While some did come out in her support.
Caste based reservation is injustice against non reserved category and scst act is cruel and unjustified law in a democratic country. https://t.co/GgvsJAouYx
— Shiv Shanker Verma (@ssvermapune) June 3, 2019
A user wrote, “No, she is right. He was born a shudra and most Brahmins were, in fact, unwilling to perform his coronation ceremony. But they managed to find a Brahmin ( Ganga Bhatt from Varanasi) to perform the coronation. If u had power, u could stake a claim to a higher caste but only then”.
Payal Rohatgi later clarified her actions and apologised for her statements.
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