Vijaysinhraje Patwardhan, Adityaraje Patwardhan and Rajlakshmiraje Patwardhan interacting with press in Sangli on Monday
Explaining her presence, the actor said she felt someone from among the daughters should carry forward the family’s Ganeshotsav traditions as her father had not been keeping well. Adityaraje must be recognised as my heir,” Patwardhan said. Bhagyashree, who had returned to Sangli after nearly four years, told those present at the temple that she felt it was important to continue the family’s Ganesh festival traditions. He will carry forward this legacy of mine in the future,” he said. Backing her husband, Rajlakshmiraje Patwardhan said the adoption was necessitated by the absence of a son in the family. He will capably carry forward this legacy, and we have accepted Adityaraje as the official heir to the sansthan, making him its sole heir,” she said.
Kolhapur: A Ganesh Chaturthi appearance by actor Bhagyashree Dassani at Sangli’s historic Ganapati Panchayatan temple has triggered a public succession row in the erstwhile royal family. Responding to her visit, family head Vijaysinhraje Patwardhan declared that his adopted son, Adityaraje, is the sole heir to the Sangli throne and warned against any attempt to undermine him. Neither she nor anyone else should have the attitude that — ‘I am a daughter, so I can do anything’. Tradition cannot be broken, and people in Sangli will not tolerate this either. The statement transformed what began as a festival appearance into a full-blown debate over succession and tradition. “Adityaraje alone must be accepted as my only heir. No one should unnecessarily attempt to undermine Adityaraje or hatch conspiracies against him. Adityaraje’s conduct reflects how elders should be respected. “Since we did not have a son in our family, we adopted Adityaraje. We nurture him like our own son and instil values in him in the same way…
The controversy unfolded on Monday after Bhagyashree, the eldest of Vijaysinhraje’s three daughters, performed aarti at the temple during the Ganesh festival.