Anand Dighe

Some Lesser Known Facts About Anand Dighe

• Anand Dighe was an Indian politician from Maharashtra who was a leader of the Shiv Sena. He is best known for being the political mentor of Eknath Shinde, the 20th Chief Minister of Maharashtra. In August 2001, he died in a road accident.

• At the very young age of 18, Dhighe ventured into active politics.

• Anand Dighe was known for drinking water in a steel pitcher.

  

• In the 1970s, Dighe joined the Shiv Sena, and soon, he became a prominent leader of the party to spread its Hindutva and Marathi identity following which Bal Saheb Thackeray appointed him the Party president in Thane district, where Dighe became popular for conducting a daily Durbar at his Tembhi Naka residence to hear the issues of the general public, and this earned him the name Dharmaveer. ^[6]The New Indian Express

  

• Anand Dighe worked with many prominent leaders of other political parties including BJP’s Lal Krishna Advani.

  

• Anand Dighe started an Ashram after his name, Anand Ashram, where he would help the poor and needy people.

  

• He loved playing the carrom board game, and in his leisure time, he would often play the game along with his friends.

  

• He closely worked with Indian social activist Anna Hazare.

  

• Anand Dighe had earned such popularity that he was often called the ‘Second Bal Saheb of Thane.’

• Anand Dhighe was an ardent follower of Load Shiva, and he was often spotted at various Shiva temples offering his prayers.

  

• Just like Bal Thackeray, Dighe never contested any election.

• He was known for his meditation practices, and he would often meditate in solitude.

  

• In 1989, he was arrested under TADA after he was accused of the murder of Shiv Sena party member Sridhar Khopkar. Reportedly, Khopkar had allegedly voted for Congress in 1989. Later, Dighe was released on bail. ^[7]The Times of India

• On 26 August 2001, Anand Dighe died at the Sunitadevi Singhania Hospital in Thane, where he had been undergoing treatment after he met with a road accident near Vandana ST Bus Depot while he was returning from a Ganpati festival. Following his death, his followers destroyed the hospital by arson, believing negligence by the hospital authorities in his treatment. Some doubted his death was murder. There are many conspiracy theories related to his death. ^[8]Frontline

  

• Following Anand Dighe’s death, Eknath Shinde became his successor in Thane.

• A hospital in Maharashtra’s Kalwa city has been named after Anand Dighe, Dharmaveer Anand Dighe Heartcare Center & Urocare Center.

• On 13 May 2022, a Marathi film titled “Dharamveer” was released which was based on Anand Dighe’s life. ^[9]Navbharat Times