On Maharana Pratap's birth anniversary, UP CM Yogi Adityanath says 'vidharmi' Akbar wasn't great; sparks row

NEW DELHI: Sparking a row, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that Mughal emperor Akbar was not great. The Chief Minister added that 16th century Mewar rular Maharana Pratap refused to accept 'vidharmi' Akbar as the 'badshah'. Instead, the Mewar rular chose to wage a war against the Mughal rular and won back his forts.

"Akbar asked Maharana Pratap to accept him as 'badshah' and that then he won't interfere in his kingdom Mewar. Maharana Pratap said we can't accept a 'vidharmi' and a foreigner as our ruler. Maharana proved it wasn't Akbar, but he who was great, by winning back his forts," CM Adityanath told news agency ANI.

CM Adityanath made the statement while addressing an RSS gathering to mark the Mewar king's birth anniversary.

Yogi Adityanath further added that even after 500 years Maharana Pratap is remembered and it is because he never accepted defeated in front of a foreigner.

Emperor Akbar is also known as Akbar, the great because of his many accomplishments, chiefly for the consolidation of the Mughal rule in the Indian subcontinent.