Sambhaji Bhide: The 85-year-old inspirational public leader who is admired by PM Narendra Modi
Thursday, December 7, 2017 IST
Sambhaji Bhide is one of the strongest public figures in Maharashtra.
The heavyweight leader from Sangli heads a self-formed organisation Shiv Pratishthan in Kolhapur which enjoys huge support from the public. Bhide’s aura is such that he is admired by several heavyweight political figures including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Bhide has been garnering headlines recently after he along with his followers staged a protest against the Sangli police after a local teacher died due to the third-degree treatment that he was subjected to. Bhide stated that the police stations have become a fun spot for criminals and assured that he will meet PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh regarding the matter.
Fondly known as Guruji among his followers, 85-year-old Bhide is an ardent follower of Chhatrapati Shivaji and commands a huge youth following. When Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Sangli during the Lok Sabha polls, he specially met Sambhaji Bhide and said that he had come to see Guruji not on his request but on his order. Another instance which proves the steel of Bhide is when the current Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis halted his helicopter convoy to meet with Guruji and discuss an imperative political matter.
An MSC (Atomic Science) degree holder from the elite Pune University, the ever popular Sambhaji Bhide has also served as a professor of Physics in Fergusson College, Pune. He was also honoured with a gold medal for completing his degree with distinction. Despite possessing a dynamic follower base, Bhide remains down to earth and has never asked for a penny from any of his followers or political admirers. In the world of modern cars, he uses a bicycle to travel and remains barefooted no matter where he goes.
His simplicity defies him; he had received several offers from big political outfits for collaboration but till date the devoted Hindutva leader has not bought a house of his own and has never got involved in mainstream politics.
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