Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar issued a public apology on Wednesday following the recent collapse of a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, which was erected last year. The incident has sparked widespread concern and criticism across the state, given the historical and cultural significance of the Maratha warrior king.
"Shivaji Maharaj is our deity, I apologise to the 13 crore people of Maharashtra for the collapse of his statue. Be it officials or contractors, action will be taken against those guilty," Ajit Pawar said. He further added that the collapse of the statue within a year of installation is shocking.
Meanwhile, another Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis termed the incident as unfortunate. "I think no one should do politics on this incident. This incident is unfortunate for all of us, it is a very sad incident, it should be properly investigated and action should be taken against the culprits and a grand statue should be installed again at that place," he said.
What Fadnavis said on the matter?
He further said the Navy took this matter seriously and formed an investigation committee, the committee has visited the spot and the Navy will investigate the matter and take appropriate action. Fadanavis also hits out at the Opposition, saying it should refrain from doing 'cheap politics' on the matter. "The opposition should not do such cheap politics. Sharad Pawar is a senior leader, he also knows that this statue has been installed by the Navy, but it has not been installed by the state government, corruption is not acceptable anywhere, and we oppose corruption, if Pawar Sahab gives such statements then I am surprised, does Pawar Sahab support corruption by giving such statements?" Fadnavis added.
Shivaji Maharaj's statue collapses
The statue of Maratha King Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a fort in Maharashtra's Sindhudurg district, collapsed on August 26. The 35-foot statue collapsed at Rajkot Fort in Malvan. PM Modi had unveiled the statue on December 4 last year on the occasion of Navy Day. He had also participated in the celebrations at the fort. Meanwhile, the statue collapse incident has snowballed into a political controversy with the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) targeting the Mahayuti government in Maharashtra and seeking Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's resignation.
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