Maharashtra Politics: Assembly elections are going to be held in Maharashtra at the end of this year. Before this, politics in the state is heating up over the fall of Shivaji Maharaj’s statue. This statue was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. After the fall of the statue, opposition parties are blaming the Maharashtra government. After the allegations of the opposition, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar apologized to the people of the state. Yesterday, PM Modi also apologized to the people of the state, after which the matter has become more heated.
On the other hand, the state government has also formed an SIT to investigate the statue case. Apart from this, the government has also announced the construction of a new statue. Even after that the opposition is attacking the government.
Let us know here what is the statue incident of Maharashtra? Why did the statue fall? What action did the state government take? What is the opposition saying on this matter now? What is the stand of the government? And why did PM Modi apologize?
First of all, what is the idol issue of Maharashtra?
Let us tell you that on 26th August last month, the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj installed in Rajkot Fort of Sindhudurg fell down. PM Modi unveiled this statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj during a ceremony on Navy Day on 4 December 2023. The statue was 35 feet tall. The Maharashtra government had spent Rs 2.36 crore on this statue.
Why did the statue fall?
Last week, Sindhudurg witnessed heavy rains and strong winds. After the incident, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said that the statue fell due to strong winds. He said, this statue was installed by the Navy. They had also designed it. But due to strong winds of about 45 km per hour, it fell and got damaged. Apart from this, the Indian Navy said in a statement that the statue has suffered unfortunate damage due to exceptional weather conditions.
According to media reports, in the statue’s case, the problem is not caused by external factors like load or climatic conditions. Rather, due to rust in the nuts and bolts, as mentioned in the PWD report, the steel plates forming the frame inside the statue may have deteriorated.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Art Directorate director Rajiv Mishra said that permission was given to build a 6 feet tall statue and not a 35 feet tall statue. The directorate was not aware of its actual height and the use of steel plates in its construction.
What steps did the government take?
The Maharashtra government has formed a technical committee of engineers, IIT experts and naval officials to investigate the reasons behind the statue’s collapse. Sindhudurg Superintendent of Police Saurabh Agarwal has already taken metal samples for forensic investigation. Meanwhile, the police have registered an FIR and arrested structural consultant Chetan Patil and artist Jaydeep Apte from Kolhapur.
The second committee has been appointed under Additional Chief Secretary (PWD) Manisha Mhaiskar, which will study how a new statue can be installed at the same place. CM Shinde said that the government will bear the entire cost of the statue. The CM met several renowned sculptors like Vinay Wagh, Shashikant Wadke and Anil Sutar at his residence on August 28 and 29.
Apart from this, the Defense Ministry said in a statement that the Navy along with the state government and the concerned experts have formed a team to immediately investigate the cause of this unfortunate accident. This team will work to take steps to repair, reconstruct and restore the statue as soon as possible.
What is the opposition saying?
Since the statue fell, the opposition Mahayuti has been on the offensive against the Prime Minister including the Shinde government. NCP (NCP) president Sharad Pawar said that the state government cannot escape its responsibility. Whenever a statue is built, it is necessary to take permission from the state authorities.
Uddhav attacked the government
Former Chief Minister of the state Uddhav Thackeray said, ‘People saw how the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj fell and what kind of statements people are making. Rajya Bhavan is on the beach, but even the Governor’s hat never flew and they say that the statue of Shivaji Maharaj fell due to strong winds, how is this possible?’
Congress leaders including Prithviraj Chavan also attacked the coalition government of Maharashtra on this issue. State Congress President Nana Patole said that the Prime Minister inaugurated the statue in a hurry before the Lok Sabha elections. The PM has committed a crime.
What has the government said on the incident?
After this incident, different reactions were also seen from the parties involved in the Mahayuti government of the state. Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde called upon the opposition parties not to politicise the matter and said that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is deeply respected and it is everyone’s duty to give him respect and honour.
The fall of the statue like this is a shock for everyone: Ajit Pawar
NCP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar expressed grief over the collapse of Shivaji Maharaj’s statue in Sindhudurg and apologized to the 13 crore people of Maharashtra. He said, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is our deity. The collapse of his statue like this within a year is a shock for everyone.
Ajit said that the statue will be installed in the fort as soon as possible. Also, strict legal action will be taken against the person who is negligent. On the other hand, BJP leader and Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis said that no one should do politics on the incident of Shivaji Maharaj’s statue collapsing. This is very sad and after investigation, action will be taken against the culprits. Fadnavis said that the opposition should not do such cheap politics.
What has PM Modi responded?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday apologized for the fall of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s statue in Sindhudurg. He said, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is not just a name for me. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is our revered deity for us. I bow my head and apologize for what happened in Sindhudurg recently by placing my head at the feet of my revered deity Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
He further said, our values are different. We are not those people who keep on speaking nonsense about Veer Savarkar, the great son of Mother India, the son of this land. They keep on insulting him. They crush the feelings of patriots. The Prime Minister said, those people are not ready to apologize even after abusing Veer Savarkar. They do not repent. The people of Maharashtra have now come to know their values.
