The confrontation took place at Bawchi in Sangli district during the inauguration ceremony of a memorial dedicated to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. BJP MLA Gopichand Padalkar and MLA Jayant Patil were present on the same platform. During his speech, Padalkar referred to the history of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and made a pointed remark directed at Patil.
Padalkar stated that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj had removed Afzal Khan's entrails at the foothills of Panhala Fort. His remarks prompted Jayant Patil to respond by correcting the historical reference and taking a dig at the BJP MLA.
Patil pointed out that Afzal Khan was killed at the foothills of Pratapgad Fort, not Panhala Fort. Taking a sarcastic swipe at Padalkar, he said, "Next time, come after studying properly. This is what happens when you deliver a memorised speech."
The exchange continued as Padalkar made another indirect reference to Patil while speaking about confronting powerful opponents. He said, "No matter how powerful the enemy is, one should not be afraid. One should enter their territory and carry out the operation."
Padalkar further said that everyone faces a siege at some point in life, but there is no need to be afraid, whether the challenge is political or financial. He added that people should learn from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj how to break out of a siege, regardless of how severe it becomes.
Padalkar made these remarks while referring to the historical episode involving the cutting of Shaista Khan's fingers by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. His comments were seen as another dig at Jayant Patil amid their political rivalry.
The two leaders had already been on opposing sides during the Sangli District Central Cooperative Bank election, where the contest had turned into a direct confrontation between Gopichand Padalkar and Jayant Patil. Padalkar's 20-vote victory added another dimension to their political rivalry, which became visible once again during the memorial inauguration ceremony.
The public exchange over the historical references to Afzal Khan, Pratapgad and Panhala brought their political differences into focus, with both leaders using the same platform to target each other.
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