Anand Dighe
{{Short description|Indian politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2017}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2017}}
{{Infobox office holder
| name = Anand Chintamani Dighe
| native_name =
| image =
| honorific_prefix = Dharmaveer
| imagesize =
| alt =
| caption = Anand Dighe
| birth_name = Anand Chintamani Dighe
| birth_date = {{birth date|1951|01|27|df=y}}
| birth_place = Apta, Bombay State, India
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|2001|08|26|1951|01|27}}{{cite web|title=Anand Dighe dead, Sainiks set hospital on fire|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Anand-Dighe-dead-Sainiks-set-hospital-on-fire/articleshow/714071370.cms|newspaper=The Times of India|accessdate=28 September 2014}}
| death_place = Thane, Maharashtra, India
| nickname = Dharmaveer
Anand Dighe Saheb
| occupation = Politician and social worker
| party = Shiv Sena
| office1 = Thane Unit Chief of Shiv Sena
| term1 = 1984 - 2001
| predecessor1 = M.D. Joshi
| successor1 = Eknath Shinde
| citizenship = Indian|
| years_active =
| website =
}}
Anand Dighe (27 January 1951 – 26 August 2001), popularly known as Dharmaveer, was an Indian right-wing politician and social worker. He was a prominent public figure in Thane district and the unit chief of the Shiv Sena political party.{{Cite web |date=2012-11-18 |title=Balasaheb Thackeray had a special love and affection for Thane |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/west/story/balasaheb-thackeray-had-a-special-love-and-affection-for-thane-121779-2012-11-17 |access-date=2024-11-30 |website=India Today |language=en |agency=Press Trust of India}}{{cite web |title=Anand Dighe dead, Sainiks set hospital on fire |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Anand-Dighe-dead-Sainiks-set-hospital-on-fire/articleshow/714071370.cms |accessdate=29 July 2014 |website=The Times of India |publisher=The Times Group}}{{cite web |date=1999-09-07 |title=Shiv Sena leaving no stone unturned to defeat former comrade |url=http://www.rediff.com/election/1999/sep/07bela.htm |accessdate=18 August 2014 |publisher=Rediff.com}} He mentored many young politicians from the Thane region including Naresh Mhaske, Rajan Vichare, and Eknath Shinde.
Career
Dighe joined politics at a young age. He became president of Shiv Sena's Thane Unit in 1984.{{Cite book |last=Hansen |first=Thomas Blom |url=https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9780691188621-006/html |title=Chapter 4. Thane City: The Making of Political Dadaism |date=2018-06-05 |publisher=Princeton University Press |isbn=978-0-691-18862-1 |language=en |doi=10.1515/9780691188621-006/html}} Dighe was a grassroots leader with a large support base{{cite web|title=Dighe's b'day, a show of strength|url=http://expressindia.indianexpress.com/ie/daily/19980129/02950264.html|newspaper=Indian Express|accessdate=18 August 2014}} and was popularly known as Dharmaveer.{{cite web|title=Shiv Sena MP flays party heads |url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/article334340.ece|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819091450/http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/article334340.ece|url-status=dead|archive-date=19 August 2014|newspaper=The New Indian Express|accessdate=18 August 2014}} He was considered a powerful muscleman in Thane.{{Cite news|url=http://www.outlookindia.com/magazine/story/the-mobs-fond-farewell/213081|title=The Mob's Fond Farewell|publisher=Outlook India|access-date=2016-10-18}} He would hold a daily Durbar at his Tembhi Naka residence to hear out/resolve issues faced by Thane citizens along with Shiv Sena party workers.{{Cite book|last=Hansen|first=Thomas Blom|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Bf5ZDwAAQBAJ&q=Anand+Dighe&pg=PA109|title=Wages of Violence: Naming and Identity in Postcolonial Bombay|date=2018-06-05|publisher=Princeton University Press|isbn=978-0-691-18862-1|language=en}}
Dighe was accused in the murder of Shiv Sena party member Sridhar Khopkar, who had allegedly voted for Congress in 1989. Dighe was arrested under TADA and was released on bail.{{cite web|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Sena-faces-uphill-task-in-choosing-Dighes-successor/articleshow/664042846.cms|title=Sena faces uphill task in choosing Dighe's successor|publisher=Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd.|accessdate=18 August 2014|newspaper=The Times of India}} The investigation continued until his death.
Death and Legacy
Dighe was hospitalised in August 2001 after a car accident, suffering from minor injuries to his leg. During his treatment, hospital management announced that Dighe died of a heart attack. His followers believed that he died because of medical negligence, leading to riots that culminated with the destruction of Sunitidevi Singhania Hospital in Thane.{{Cite news |date=2022-08-03 |title=What really happened on August 26, 2001, when Anand Dighe died? |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/mumbai-news/who-is-anand-dighe-and-what-happened-to-him-101659466398299.html |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20241007082058/https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/mumbai-news/who-is-anand-dighe-and-what-happened-to-him-101659466398299.html |archive-date=2024-10-07 |access-date=2025-03-18 |work=Hindustan Times |language=en-us}} Some followers believed that he was killed due to his popularity{{Cite web |date=2001-09-14 |title=A death and a riot |url=https://frontline.thehindu.com/other/article30251851.ece |access-date=2022-06-30 |website=frontline.thehindu.com |language=en}} and there are many conspiracy theories related to Anand Dighe's death.{{cite news |last1=Katakam |first1=Anupama |title=A death and a riot |url=https://frontline.thehindu.com/other/article30251851.ece |access-date=7 May 2022 |work=The Hindu |date=September 15, 2001 |location=Mumbai |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=आनंद दिघेंचा अपघात की घातपात? 'धर्मवीर'मधील शेवटच्या सीनमुळे चर्चेला उधाण |url=https://maharashtratimes.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/bollywood-news/anand-dighe-death-reason-in-dharmveer-marathi-movie-part-2-last-scene-viral/articleshow/92382534.cms |access-date=2022-06-30 |website=Maharashtra Times |language=mr}}
Eknath Shinde, Dighe's former mentee and future Chief Minister of Maharashtra, has asserted that he knows information about his death that would cause a "political earthquake" if he were to reveal it. Former Lok Sabha MP Nilesh Narayan Rane made a similar hint.
Popular culture
The 2022 Marathi biopic Dharmaveer was based on Dighe's life. Prasad Oak played the role of Dighe in the movie.{{Cite web |date=2022-06-14 |title=ZEE5 announces the release of Anand Dighe’s biopic 'Dharmaveer' |url=https://www.thestatesman.com/entertainment/zee5-announces-release-anand-1503081038.html |access-date=2022-06-30 |website=The Statesman |language=en-US}} A sequel, Dharmaveer 2, was released in 2024.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dighe, Anand}}
Category:Shiv Sena politicians
Category:Politics of Thane district
{{authority control}}