Veteran actor Rahul Solapurkar has resigned from the position of trustee at the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute in Pune. His resignation comes after a controversial statement he made regarding Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. A few days ago, Solapurkar claimed that Shivaji Maharaj escaped from Agra by "bribing" several chieftains of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.
His remarks sparked a debate and led to widespread criticism. Members of the Akhand Maratha Samaj gathered at the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute in Pune, where Solapurkar served as a trustee. They demanded his removal from the position and, in protest, garlanded his poster with footwear.
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Solapurkar made the statement during a podcast on a YouTube channel. He claimed, "Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj actually gave bribes to the chieftains of Aurangzeb and his wife. There are proofs of it. So they left from Agra with an official letter. (Poet) Swami Paramanand left with five elephants in the end and there are proofs of it."
Following the controversy, Solapurkar apologized for his comments. He expressed regret for using the word "bribe." He clarified that he did not intend to disrespect Shivaji Maharaj. "It is impossible for me to disrespect him. Some people have deliberately twisted my words from the podcast to create controversy by claiming that I said Shivaji Maharaj bribed officials."