Mudhoji Leads Protest Over Maratha Map Controversy Raje Mudhoji Bhonsle, a descendant of Nagpur's royal family, led a protest at Azad Maidan on Tuesday over the removal of a Maratha Empire expansion map from an NCERT Class 8 textbook. The demonstration, organized by followers of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, demanded the restoration of the historical map, which the protesters claimed was being erased from school curricula to dilute Maratha history. Bhonsle met with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to push for its reinstatement, arguing that Maharashtra's historical legacy should not be altered without consultation with experts on Maratha history. The protest drew hundreds of participants who raised concerns about the decision to remove the map, which they described as a significant chapter of the region's past. State Minister Pankaj Bhoyar engaged with the demonstrators at the venue and later facilitated a meeting between Bhonsle’s delegation and Fadnavis. According to the protesters, Fadnavis assured them that the matter would be addressed with the Centre and NCERT. However, no official statement from NCERT was available at the time. The demonstrators warned of potential legal action and intensified public agitation if the decision to remove the map was not reversed. The controversy highlights tensions over historical representation in education, with critics arguing that such changes risk erasing cultural narratives. The protest underscores broader debates about the role of state governments in shaping historical narratives and the importance of preserving regional heritage in school textbooks. The incident has sparked discussions about the balance between academic neutrality and cultural sensitivity in educational content.#ncert #pankaj_bhoyar #chhatrapati_shivaji_maharaj #rajendra_fadnavis #azad_maidan
