Sambhaji Brigade

Sambhaji Brigade is a Maratha outfit, based in Maharashtra, India. It is a branch of the Maratha Seva Sangh. The Brigade is named after the Maratha emperor Sambhaji son of the first Maratha emperor Shivaji. Known for its controversial and often violent agitations, it gained exposure after its members attacked, vandalised and ransacked the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute in Pune, claiming that it helped American scholar James Laine’s book on Shivaji titled Shivaji: Hindu King in Islamic India, certain parts of which were unacceptable to them. During this attack on BORI, they destroyed many precious and rare manuscripts which laid to decades of research to waste. Sambhaji Brigade demands reservation for the Maratha community and wants inclusion of Marathas in Other Backward Classes (OBC) category. They also demand free education for Maratha children and registered marriages instead of religious ceremonies. The organization has been described as having an anti-Brahmin caste stand and has been repeatedly criticized for its extremist views. Controversies Sambhaji Brigade is known for aggressive and violent agitations. Their first violent protest was an attack on Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute. Several historical records were destroyed in this attack including handwritten copies by Adya Shankaracharya. This was followed by uprooting of Dadoji Kondev's Statue from Lal Mahal, then by attacks on Waghya dog's statue on Raigad fort and then by attacks on R. R. Patil.