MUMBAI, Jan. 7 -- A remark by senior BJP leader and Union minister C R Patil that 17th-century Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj belonged to the Patidar caste has triggered sharp reactions from opposition parties in Maharashtra, with the controversy erupting ahead of elections to all 29 municipal corporations in the state. Patil, a Member of Parliament from Gujarat, made the statement at a public event while praising the Patidar community, a prominent agrarian group in Gujarat. "If anyone deserves the credit for bringing the entire country together, it is Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. He was a Patidar. If there is anyone who ensures that no one stays hungry in such a prestigious community or village, it is the Patidar community; that is what it means to be a Patidar. I am happy to say that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was also a Patidar," he said. The comment drew immediate criticism in Maharashtra, where Shivaji Maharaj is revered as a Maratha ruler from the Bhonsle clan. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut termed the statement an insult to the state and the Marathi community. "This is a massive insult to Maharashtra and the Marathi people. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is the deity of Maharashtra. The Bharatiya Janata Party has earlier tried to claim the legacy of many great icons and failed. Now they are trying to take Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to Gujarat," Raut said. He added that it was Shivaji Maharaj who had once plundered Surat, leaving the region in disarray. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president and deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar also rejected Patil's claim, asserting that Shivaji Maharaj belonged to the Bhonsle dynasty. "Everyone knows about Shivaji Maharaj and his genealogy. I have not heard what C R Patil said, but I am very much aware of Maharaj, his relation with the Bhonsle dynasty and the princely state of Satara," Pawar said. The BJP sought to distance itself from the controversy. State revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said he was unaware of the Union minister's statement....