Tushar Bhosale has emerged as the new face of an aggressive, pro-Brahmin BJP in the Trimbakeshwar temple row in Nashik where some Muslims were simply carrying out the centuries plus practice to show loban or dhoop as a mark of respect before proceeding to the Gulabshah dargah as part of the annual Urs. Adivasis have clearly stated that the route of the conflict is the attempt by the dominant and politically section among Brahmins to appropriate a Bahujan Adivasi faith practice and shrine (shraddhasthal)
Creating a conflict where there was none, the Hindutva right wing protested vehemently against this (at least century old practice) of paying respect and tried to concoct a parallel narrative, using television anchors to refute local assertions (of both Adivasis and Muslims) that this has been a practice for decades. It was Tushar Bhosale who was among the first and most shrill in denigrating this syncretic practice and “blaming the Muslims for entering a temple”.
Bhosale, curiously is also convener of the Maharashtra BJP Adyatmik Samanvay Aghadi (Maharashtra BJP Spiritual Coordination Committee) and is the complainant on behalf of the trustees of the temple. This committee was constituted in 2016 when Devendra Fadnavis was the CM of Maharashtra. The committee has 42 members, and is tasked with coordinating between the party and the government on issues related to religious organisations and warkaris, the devotees of Lord Vitthal who undertake annual pilgrimage to the temple town of Pandharpur, reported The Indian Express. The varkari is also an age-old casteless tradition that has also periodically seen manifestations of casteism, albeit in spurts.
Incidentally, it was the 2015 year of the Nashik Kumbh Mela (held every 12 years) that saw the first open manifestation of a dominant casteist manifestation. Observers of people’s culture state that this was the time that (with the BJP in power in the state for the first time) an open articulation of Brahmanism was visible.
Tushar Bhosale, himself a Brahmin, hails from a middle class family in Nashik and completed his education in Nashik and then further studies in Mumbai. He studied Advaita Vedanta from the Bharatiya Vidhya Bhawan, Mumbai and attended RSS shakhas in his school days, says the IE. He has of late received plentiful media coverage. At a recently held press conference, Bhosale even attacked the Udhav Thackeray Shiv Sena. He said (of Sanjay Raut), “Their claims are false. Even an ISI agent will be put to shame by what Sanjay Raut has done. He has gone against Hindus and he is siding with those who are against our religion. Is Sanjay Raut agent of jihadis?”
संजय राऊत ‘जिहाद्यांचे एजंट’ ❗️@Dev_Fadnavis @CMOMaharashtra @BJP4Maharashtra @cbawankule pic.twitter.com/JU6MapFWdB
— Acharya Tushar Bhosale (@AcharyaBhosale) May 22, 2023
In a further aggravated attack on Raut, Bhosale said that Raut is “not the son of a Hindu”. Raut had claimed that the tradition of offering Urus is 100 years old. Infuriated by this claim, Bhosale warned that Raut should prove this claims, else Uddhav Thackeray will have to face the consequences.
In another instance, in one of his video lauding Fadnavis for setting up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the recent row, Bhosale said in Marathi, “he bhagwa sarkar aahe ithe hirvyanchi masti chalnar nahi. Uddhav Tahckeray sarkhe lechepeche lokanche sarkar nahi aahe (This is a saffron government, here the greens (muslims) will not be allowed to play around. This is not a government of weak people like Uddhav Thackeray.)
Previous Provocations by Bhosale
In May 2022, Bhosale had adversely commented on Sharad Pawar when he did not visit a temple in Pune. Pawar had publicly stated that he did not visit the temple because he had eaten non-vegetarian food. Bhosale however turned this into a controversy and questioned why did Pawar eat non-veg when he knew he was going to visit that temple.
“Sharad Pawar has no faith in Hindu gods and goddesses. So how can they go to the temple?, Maulana Sharad Pawar had Jumma yesterday, that’s why he refused to go to the temple citing non-veg food,” Bhosale offensively said (in Marathi). He further said, “Sharad Pawar is always going around throwing Iftar parties. But Pawar is allergic to going to Dagdusheth temple. No matter how many reasons he gives, Sharad Pawar is an atheist, the whole of Maharashtra knows this.”
Amidst the pandemic when the Uddhav Thackeray led government had closed down certain public places, temples were also shut. However, when it was time for the government to decide which places should be reopened for the public, Bhosale had warned the government that temples should be reopened as well else, “we will march on the streets”.
While speaking to Maharashtra Times on March 21, 2023 Bhosale spoke against Jitendra Awhad and said, “To appease Muslims and to get their votes, Jitendra Awhad is always talking against us (Hindus). He caresses the beards of these Mullas, he is a blemish to Maharashtra. I am telling Sharad Pawar, please put a leash on this ‘Jituddin’ else the Hindu society will avenge this insult by him and Sharad Pawar will have to bear the consequences”.
Related:
SIT to probe Muslims offering respect from steps of Trimbakeshwar in Maharashtra ?