Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday unveiled the statue of Peshwa Bajirao in the National Defence Academy (NDA) campus Pune.
After the unveiling, he said that the NDA is the most fitting location for a memorial dedicated to the Maratha Empire warrior as Peshwa Bajirao possessed the attributes of a fine soldier.
“NDA is the most appropriate place for his memorial as it is the academy where military leadership is being trained,” Shah said while unveiling an equestrian statue of Peshwa Bajirao at the NDA campus.
“Had the battle for independence started by Shivaji Maharaj and taken forward by the Peshwas for 100 years not been fought, India`s basic structure would have ceased to exist. In his life of 40 years, Peshwa Bajirao wrote an immortal history which no other person could write,” Shah further stated.
He added that it was the duty of 140 crore Indians to carry forward the vision Peshwa Bajirao had for the country, reported news agency ANI.
“It is the responsibility of the 140 crore Indians to take forward a vision that Peshwa Bajirao had for the country, and we are doing it. One of the best examples is our Operation Sindoor…” he further added.
Ahead of the Union Home Minister’s arrival to the city, some educational institutions along the route to the event venue declared either a holiday, half-day, or shifted to online classes to avoid inconvenience amid road closures and traffic diversions, reported PTI.
Shah reached Pune on Thursday. He was welcomed by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at the airport for his two-day visit to the city.
The visit is expected to include several high-level meetings, public addresses, and organisational reviews across the state.
“Union Home and Cooperation Minister Shri @AmitShah ji arrived in Pune for a two-day visit to Maharashtra. At the airport, Chief Minister Shri @Dev_Fadnavis ji and senior workers welcomed him,” read a post from the Office of Amit Shah on X.
Ahead of his visit, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said Naxalism in the state`s Gadchiroli district is close to being eradicated. He added that the state government is committed to taking strong action against those who support Naxals, reported ANI.
“Naxalism in Gadchiroli is almost on the verge of being eradicated… Our Home Minister has set a target to eliminate Naxalism by 2026, and we are on that path,” Shinde told reporters.
(With PTI and ANI inputs)