Archive · 1 Oct 2026
Nitesh Rane Accuses Dipke of Insulting Shivaji Maharaj
Maharashtra minister Nitesh Rane criticized a social media post by Abhijit Dipke.
Rane said the post showed a statue of Shivaji Maharaj with cockroaches underneath it.
He believed this insulted Shivaji Maharaj and the soldiers who fought with him.
Dipke is the founder of the Cockroach Janta Party.
Rane said people can protest in a democracy.
However, he said he would not accept efforts to make Umar Khalid appear heroic.
Rane also accused some groups of questioning democracy and trying to introduce Sharia law.
The article reports Rane’s claims and does not include a response from Dipke or the Cockroach Janta Party.
Maharashtra minister Nitesh Rane accused Abhijit Dipke of insulting Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
Rane said Dipke’s social media post showed cockroaches beneath Shivaji Maharaj’s statue.
He claimed the image portrayed the Mavalas who fought alongside Shivaji Maharaj as cockroaches.
Rane said the objection was to the alleged message, not personally to Dipke or Saurav Das.
He also criticized attempts to support jailed activist Umar Khalid and what he called anti-national forces.
- Who
- Maharashtra minister and BJP leader Nitesh Rane accused Abhijit Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party.
- What
- Rane alleged that Dipke’s social media post insulted Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and his followers.
- When
- Thursday.
- Where
- Rane made the comments while speaking to reporters; the article does not specify the location.
- Why
- Rane objected to the depiction of cockroaches beneath Shivaji Maharaj’s statue and to alleged support for Umar Khalid and other forces he described as anti-national.
- Accuser
- Nitesh Rane, Maharashtra minister and BJP leader
- Accused
- Abhijit Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party
- Alleged post
- An image showing Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s statue with cockroaches beneath it
- Historical reference
- Rane said the image represented the Mavalas who fought alongside Shivaji Maharaj as cockroaches
- Other person mentioned
- Saurav Das
- Political figure mentioned
- Jailed activist Umar Khalid
- Rane’s position
- He said democratic agitation is permitted but objected to making Umar Khalid a hero