Mumbai: In a major embarrassment for the Mahayuti government in Maharashtra, a giant statue of legendary Maratha King Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi barely eight months ago, collapsed in Sindhudurg district on Monday. The Opposition parties have slammed the state government alleging poor quality of work.
The 35-foot statue collapsed around 1 pm at Rajkot Fort in Malvan. The statue started tottering and then came crashing down, breaking into multiple pieces.
The statue was installed at the Rajkot fort as a tribute to the legendary king for his contributions to the establishment of the Maratha Empire in the 17th century. The statue showing Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in an attacking pose with a sword held high was erected on a pedestal in the ramparts of the historic sea-fort. It was made up of bronze and other materials astride a high platform. The statue was unveiled by PM Modi on December 4 last year on the occasion of Navy Day celebrations.
According to officials, while experts would ascertain exactly why the statue gave way, a probable reason could be the heavy rains and gusty winds that have lashed the district in the last two to three days. The cause of the collapse will be investigated, they said.
As news of the collapse spread, there was widespread anger and concern among people of Maharashtra, who hold the king in deep reverence.
Former MP Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati, who is a descendant of the founder of Maratha Empire, said that there is nothing more unfortunate than to see Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s memorial collapsing within a year.
“The statue, which was erected in haste so that the Prime Minister could inaugurate it, collapsed! We had then written a letter to the PM demanding to change the statue, which was basically shapeless and not according to sculpture and erected in haste. Now it is necessary to build a proper memorial of Maharaj again at that place. But in the zeal to build it before the elections, we should not make any mess again. Be it delayed, but this monument should be reconstructed scientifically,” he said on X posting the copy of the letter.
The Opposition parties also blamed the Maharashtra government claiming that substandard construction material was used for the construction.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Vaibhav Naik visited the site for inspection and alleged that the statue collapsed due to shoddy work. “The state government may try to evade responsibility. People responsible for the construction and erection of the statue must be probed thoroughly,” he said.
Voicing similar sentiments, NCP (SP) state president and former minister Jayant Patil said, "The state government is responsible for the collapse, as it did not take proper care. The government paid little attention to the quality of work. It only focused on conducting an event where Prime Minister Narendra Modi was invited to unveil the statue.”
Responding to the Opposition’s allegations, state minister Deepak Kesarkar said the Maharashtra government was committed to erecting a new statue at the same spot and asserted that the issue would be addressed “promptly and effectively.”
“We are committed to erecting a new statue at the same location. This statue, unveiled by PM Modi, pays tribute to Shivaji Maharaj’s visionary efforts in building a sea fort. We will take all necessary steps to address this matter promptly and effectively,” he further said.
