Sangli: Shiv Pratishthan Founder Sambhaji Bhide Attacked By Dog, Admitted

An incident of a dog attacking Shiv Pratishthan founder Sambhaji Bhide Guruji has come to light in Sangli. While he was going home from a programme, a dog suddenly attacked Sambhaji Bhide and bit his leg.

As per the report by Saam TV, this incident took place in Mali Galli in Sangli city.

The injured Bhide was immediately admitted to the government hospital for treatment. The incident took place around 11 pm on Monday when he was returning home after finishing a dinner program at Dharkar's house.

Who Is Sambhaji Bhide?

Sambhaji Bhide is a Hindutva activist from Maharashtra. Bhide, a native of Sangli district. He was a full-time worker for the Hindu-nationalist organisation, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, before leaving to form his own organisation, the Shiv Pratishthan Hindustan, in the late 1980s.

The organisation claims that it aims to spread the teachings of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and his son Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj.

He has a number of followers in Sangli, Kolhapur, Pune, Belgaum, Mumbai and Satara. He was described in a 2018 media report as being close to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In 2008, his followers ransacked movie halls showing the film, Jodhaa Akbar; Bhide was arrested for his role in the unrest.

Recently, he disputed ex-MP Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati's claim about the lack of historical basis for the existence of a dog with Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

He opposed the removal of the canine's statue on Raigad fort, claiming that an anecdote suggests 'Waghya' dog had jumped into the burning pyre of Shivaji Maharaj.

Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati, who belongs to the royal family of Kolhapur, has urged Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to remove the dog's statue located near Shivaji Maharaj's samadhi on the Raigad Fort.

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