35-foot tall statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, unveiled by PM Modi last year, collapses in Maharashtra

A statue of Maratha King Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, which was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a fort in Maharashtra's Sindhudurg district last year, collapsed on Monday (August 26), an official said. The 35-foot statue collapsed around 1 pm at Rajkot Fort in Malvan, he said.

The cause of the collapse is yet not known and the experts will ascertain the exact reason, but the district has received heavy rains and gusty winds in the last two to three days, the official added. Senior officials of the police and district administration reached the site to take stock of the situation, and the damage is being examined, he said.

PM Modi unveiled the statue on December 4 last year on the occasion of Navy Day. He also participated in the celebrations at the fort.

The Maratha empire founder's seal inspired the new naval ensign that was adopted when PM Modi commissioned the first indigenous aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant.

CM Shinde reacts to the incident

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said that the officials will visit the site on Tuesday and find out the reason behind the "unfortunate" incident. He also promised to reinstall the statue of the revered figure at the smae place.

"The incident that happened is unfortunate. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is the revered deity of Maharashtra. This statue was erected by the Navy. They had also designed it. But due to strong winds of around 45 km/h, it fell and got damaged. Tomorrow, officials from PWD and the Navy will visit the site and investigate the cause behind it. I sent Public Works Minister Ravindra Chavan to the site as soon as I heard about the incident. We will find out the reasons behind this incident and reinstall the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the revered deity of Maharashtra, at the same place," he said.

Opposition slams government over collapse

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. This Maharashtra government only issues new tenders, accepts commissions and gives contracts accordingly."

Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Vaibhav Naik also criticised the state government for the alleged poor quality of the 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.

Maharashtra Minister responds

Maharashtra Minister Deepak Kesarkar said, "I don't have all the details about the incident. However, it's important to note that PWD Minister Ravindra Chavan, also the guardian minister of Sindhudurg district, has said a thorough investigation will be conducted in the matter."

"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 added.

Indian Navy deputes team to 'immediately investigate cause'

Issuing a statement, the Indian Navy termed the damage of the statue "unfortunate" and said that it has deputed a team to immediately investigate the cause of the incident and reinstate the statue "at the earliest".

"Indian Navy notes with deep concern the damage caused this morning to the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj that was unveiled on Navy Day on 04 Dec 2023 as a dedication to the citizens of Sindhudurg. Along with the State Government and concerned specialists, the Navy has deputed a team to immediately investigate the cause of this unfortunate accident and initiate steps to repair, restore and reinstate the statue at the earliest," it said.

Police register case against two people

A case was registered against two people at the Malvan Police Station against Jaideep Apte, the owner of Messrs Artistry Company, and structural consultant Chetan Patil. The case was registered by the Assistant Engineer of Category One from the Maharashtra Government's PWD department. The case was registered under sections 109, 110, 125, and 318 of the BNS.

(With PTI inputs)

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