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BJP MP Tejasvi Surya was once again in troubled waters on micro-blogging site Twitter as he posted a tweet while replying to a post by another twitter user, where the MP went on to add that until Afzal Khans are ‘romanticised’ Shivaji’s vigil must continue.

He was replying to a tweet posted by user Farah Khan where in the user who had added that the people of the country are refuting the facts that under Mughals the Indian economy boasted a 24.4 percent World GDP share, higher than even China and Europe. 

“I lie & d whole world does 2. But u Mr Pai know best. Are u still refuting d fact that under d Mughals d Indian Economy had 24.4 percent world GDP share higher than even China or Europe?The Mughals contributed to d period of Golden Art &Architecture &History hold that true not me” Farah had tweeted while replying to another tweet.

Tejasvi Surya jumped into the debate and added that even educated, liberal and modern Muslims romanticize Mughal rule and added that they describing ‘atrocious’ period as India's golden age proves, beneath the apparent modernism, sophistication & polish lies 16th century bigotry.

“That even 'educated', 'liberal' & 'modern' Muslims romanticise Mughal rule & describe atrocious period as India's golden age proves, beneath the apparent modernism, sophistication & polish lies 16th century bigotry. Till Afzal Khans are romanticised, Shivaji's vigil must continue” Surya wrote in his tweet.

Taking note of Surya’s remarks, another twitter user Rakshit Ponnathpur schooled Tejasvi Surya and provided his insight over the history of Bengaluru. In a series of tweets, Rakshit questioned Suray’s statement and added that Bengaluru was taken away from Kempegowda II by the joint army led by Shivaji’s father and Ranadullah Khan of Bijapur. 

Here are the tweets of Rakshit while replying to Tejasvi Surya. He elaborated his insights in eight tweets’ thread that has received mixed reactions by other users. Surya however is yet to reply to Rakshit’s thread.

“The Bengaluru you represent in Parliament was taken away from Kempegowda II by the joint army led by Shivaji's father & Ranadullah Khan of Bijapur. Wodeyars got Bengaluru back 60 years later from Shivaji's brother by paying 3 lakhs to the Mughal king Aurangzeb. Whose vigil again?” Rakshit wrote in his first tweet.

“Kempegowda had to flee Bengaluru to save his life and remain in exile for a while, sign treaties and settle for a small, barren area that was Magadi. Hence, Magadi Kempegowda. The horrors of the invasion are vividly described in Bengalurina Itihasa, a magnum opus on the city.” He further added

“History is complicated. Not simple Hindu Muslim binary which is the only lens you can apply. Marathas, partnered with Nizams, Bijapur & Mughals alternatively and wreaked havoc on many of Karnataka's Hindu rulers and kingdoms. Can you talk about it? Whose history is jaundiced?” he went on to add.

“I wonder why @INCKarnataka & @JanataDal_S haven't exposed the history of Maratha rulers in Karnataka yet. The next time Tejasvi Surya talks of Shivaji, DKS & HDK should ask why Shivaji's father did what he did to our Kempegowda, despite the latter being a devout Hindu.

“This entire charade of showering adulation on Maratha rulers by @BJP4Karnataka is tremendously disrespectful to the state, her self-respect, and her rich legacy and history. They are all celebrated enough in Maharashtra. So leave that job to the people of Maharashtra.

“This thread is not intended to demonise Maratha rulers in any way. It is only intended to expose the over simplification of history. For that, even I have chosen only selected events. So in a way, mine is also an oversimplification. They only did what everyone else did back then-

“Ally with whom they felt they needed to consolidate & expand power. Friends turned foes and became friends again. This was the story of all the kingdoms and empires. Muslim rulers had Hindu commanders and vice versa. Muslim & Hindu kingdoms allied also, fought also.

“In summary, the politics of that time was very complicated. Reducing all of that to Hindu vs Muslim to paint a very flawed and inaccurate picture of the existence of a valiant Hindu unity against Islamic brutality, is very wrong. Shivaji & Shivaji's family allied with many Khans” Rakshit added in his thread while concluding.

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Bengaluru (PTI): A consortium led by the Aditya Birla Group (ABG) on Tuesday acquired 100 percent equity stake in IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bengaluru for a whopping USD 1.78 billion (approximately Rs 16,706 crore) from its current owner the United Spirits Limited.

Other parties involved in the group are -- Blackstone’s perpetual private equity strategy, BXPE, a firm of which Viral Patel is the CEO, Bolt Ventures, owned by American investor David Blitzer, and media conglomerate Times of India.

“United Spirits Limited, pursuant to the meeting of its Board of Directors, today announced that it has entered into definitive agreements for the sale of the 100 percent equity stake held in its wholly owned subsidiary Royal Challengers Sports Private Limited (RCSPL) to a consortium,” the USL said in a statement.

“The consortium comprises Aditya Birla Group (ABG), The Times of India Group (Times), Bolt Ventures (Bolt), and Blackstone’s perpetual private equity strategy, BXPE (Blackstone) for a total consideration of INR 166.6 bn in an all cash transaction,” the statement added.

The transaction includes RCB's men’s and women’s (WPL) teams.

“RCSPL owns and operates Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) franchises that participate in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Women’s Premier League (WPL).

“Upon completion of this transaction, the consortium will, through its ownership of RCSPL, acquire the rights to own and operate the IPL and WPL franchise,” said the USL.

The announcement also concluded the strategic review of RCSPL that was initiated by USL on November 5, 2025.

The United Spirits Limited is a subsidiary of UK-Diageo, and they were keen to move away from RCB as the team was not central to their business plans.

Commenting on the transaction, Praveen Someshwar, MD & CEO, USL, said: “This transaction marks an important milestone for USL as we sharpen focus on our core beverage alcohol business to unlock its true potential. RCB has grown into the most prominent and commercially successful franchise in the IPL and WPL.

“We are excited for the future of RCB under the stewardship of the new owner. As Sports enters a new phase of growth in India & globally, we believe this is in the best interest of the franchise and our stakeholders.”

Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman, Aditya Birla Group, said, “Over the past 2 decades, the IPL has morphed to become a global sporting powerhouse that has changed the face of Indian cricket creating enormous value for India.

“RCB, as one of the most compelling franchises in modern sport, offers the Aditya Birla Group a distinctive platform to extend its legacy of institution-building into the arena of global sport.”

As per the sale agreement, Aryaman Vikram Birla, ABG’s director, will be the chairman of RCB while Satyan Gajwani of Times of India will be his deputy.

Aryaman Birla, said: “It is a privilege to come together in this partnership to shape the next phase of growth for RCB. This partnership brings together a deep understanding of sports, media and consumer businesses.

“Together, we will continue to Play Bold -- on the pitch, in the community, and for the fans who make RCB what it is.”

Gajwani, Chairman, Times Internet Limited, said: “RCB is the reigning champion and the most popular brand in the IPL. We will build RCB into a global sporting institution, while remaining rooted in Bengaluru and Karnataka and its incredible fanbase.”

Blitzer hoped to build on RCB’s recent success.

“RCB has a world-class fanbase, and the IPL is one of the great growth stories in global sport. Having invested in clubs and leagues around the world, I believe the opportunity at RCB stands out.

We look forward to working alongside our partners and the BCCI to build on the franchise’s championship success,” he said.

Patel praised the RCB as one of the strongest sporting brands in the world.

“We are excited to invest in RCB, building on Blackstone’s long-standing commitment to India. RCB stands out as one of the most popular sports franchises in the world with a powerful brand, a loyal fan base, and multiple avenues for growth,” he added.

However, formalities such as ratification from the BCCI, IPL Governing Council, its WPL counterpart and the Competition Commission of India are still pending.

Earlier, IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals was acquired by US-based Kal Somani-led consortium for USD 1.63 billion (approx Rs 15,290 crore),

The Somani-led consortium includes Rob Walton from the Walmart family and Hamp family (Ford motor company).

Somani is an Arizona-based tech entrepreneur who has founded IntraEdge (technology services and solutions), Truyo.Ai (data privacy rights and AI governance) and Academian (edtech services).

The other contenders to buy the team, which won the inaugural trophy in 2008, were the Times Internet-led consortium, the Aditya Birla Group and the Mittal family led by ArcelorMittal CEO Aditya Mittal.

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