Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate for the Pune Lok Sabha seat, Murlidhar Mohol, assured to work for the preservation of forts in Maharashtra during an address on Wednesday. He made these remarks at the Hindu Jansamvad Mela organised by the Sakal Hindu Samaj at the Balagandharv Rang Mandir in the city.
The programme commenced with idol worship of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, and Lord Ram. Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Shankar Gaikar was the keynote speaker at the event, attended by a large number of youth and citizens of Pune.
In his speech, Mohol praised the work of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and assured to protect Pune's culture and further develop the city. "The Government of India has submitted nominations of 12 forts from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's era for recognition in the UNESCO World Heritage List. These include Raigad along with Salher, Shivneri, Lohagad, Khanderi, Rajgad, Pratapgad, Suvarnadurg, Panhala, Vijaydurg, Sindhudurg, and Jinji in Tamil Nadu," Mohol stated.
"Most of the forts in this list are in the Sahyadris. Built between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries, these forts reflect the strategic military power of the Maratha Empire. With the help of these and many such forts, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj established the Hindavi Swarajya," he added, emphasising his commitment to preserving these forts out of a sense of duty.
Mohol faces a tough challenge from Congress' Ravindra Dhangekar and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi's Vasant More for the Pune Lok Sabha seat.