Oxford University Press apologises over content on Shivaji Maharaj in 2003 book

PUNE: (Jan 7) Oxford University Press (OUP) India has issued an apology to Udayanraje Bhosale, 13th descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, over certain "unverified statements" made about the Maratha king in a book published more than two decades ago.

In a public notice that appeared in a newspaper on Tuesday, OUP India acknowledged that some statements contained on pages 31, 33, 34 and 93 of the book "Shivaji: Hindu King in Islamic India", published in 2003, were unverified.

The book, written by American author James Laine, had triggered a row after more than 150 activists from the Sambhaji Brigade ransacked the renowned Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute (BORI) on Law College Road in Pune in January 2004, alleging that it helped the writer, who allegedly made objectionable remarks about Shivaji Maharaj in the book.