Shah unveils statue of Bajirao Peshwa
PUNE: Union Home Minister and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah unveiled a grand statue of iconic Maratha warrior Shrimant Bajirao Peshwa I in Pune, Maharashtra, today. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, and Union Minister of State for Cooperation Murlidhar Mohol, among other dignitaries, attended the event.
Speaking at the gathering, Amit Shah articulated that the statue of Bajirao Peshwa is a reminder of India’s strong heritage and warrior culture. He reiterated the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who provided the vision of Vikas Bhi Virasat Bhi”, repeating the statement that cultural heritage and historical inspiration should be aligned with national development. He termed Pune as the cradle of the Swaraj ethos, remembering the role played by the likes of Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Veer Savarkar in the independence movement. Shah stated that the most appropriate location for Bajirao Peshwa’s statue is the National Defence Academy (NDA) in Pune, where future Indian Armed Forces leaders are trained. “If our future warriors are inspired by Bajirao’s unparalleled leadership and bravery, no one will ever dare to cross India’s borders,” he added.
Pointing to Bajirao’s military acumen, Shah said the 18th-century leader engaged in 41 battles in two decades without tasting defeat. He appreciated Bajirao’s warfare principles—strategy, speed, sacrifice, and patriotism—as eternal and critical to triumph. “In the last 500 years of Indian history, no warrior exemplifies these principles more than Bajirao Peshwa,” he further added. Shah also attributed various civil achievements to Bajirao, like the building of Shaniwarwada, the institution of water conservation systems, and combat against social evils. He remembered that Bajirao stayed mounted on horseback during his entire career and knocked down the symbols of slavery, lighting the fire of freedom throughout the country. “He was not only a warrior but a sacrificial symbol of the nation, religion, and Swaraj,” Shah said.
Talking of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Shah said Shivaji established the pillars of Hindavi Swaraj and motivated the coming generations. “Had the Peshwas not carried out the movement started by Shivaji Maharaj for more than a century, India would not have been able to keep its cultural and civilisational core,” he said.
