Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 29 (ANI): Amid protests from opposition leaders regarding the recent collapse of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said that an investigative committee has been formed to probe the incident.
Shinde announced the formation of two dedicated committees to address the issue: one to investigate the incident and ensure accountability, and another focused on expediting the reconstruction of the statue.
“We have formed committees, one committee will investigate it and take action and the other committee has been formed with the intention of building the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj as soon as possible.
Shinde urged the opposition leaders to refrain from politics on the issue while the state government is trying to restore the statue.
We are working on a war footing, we are preparing to build a grand statue of Shivaji Maharaj there as soon as possible. Instead of doing politics on this, everyone needs to cooperate,” Shinde said.
The Statue was unveiled on December 4, 2023, as part of the Navy Day celebrations conducted, for the first time, in Sindhudurg, aimed at honouring the legacy of the Maratha Navy and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj towards maritime defence and security, and its historical linkage with the modern Indian Navy.
A 35-foot-tall statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the state’s Sindhudurg district collapsed on Monday afternoon. The Shivaji statue was inaugurated in December 2023 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Navy Day.
A joint technical committee headed by the Indian Navy with representatives from the Maharashtra Government and technical experts is being formed to investigate the unfortunate damage
Shiv Sena (UBT) Chief Sanjay Raut demanded formation of a special investigation team to investigate the case.
“There should be an SIT under the leadership of a sitting High Court judge. Otherwise, what do these people do, they put their people in the SIT…I will demand that an inquiry be done like the High Court judge. But all this matter is not going to cool down,” Raut said.
Ajit Pawar led NCP party workers staged a silent protest in Pune on Thursday regarding the incident of a Shivaji Maharaj statue collapse.
Various opposition leaders including Shiv Sena (UBT) Uddhav Thackery questioned the BJP-led Mahayuti government over the incident.
“Two days ago people saw how the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj fell and what kind of statements people are making. Rajya Bhavan is on the seashore 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?” said Uddhav Thackeray.
In a social media post, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray pulled down the BJP over the incident by linking it to Shivaji’s pride.
In a statement, posted on X Thackeray said, “It is unimaginable that the statue of our deity, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj would also be a subject of the BJP’s corruption.
Thackeray also slammed the BJP for allegedly blaming the Indian Navy.
“Here too, a favoured contractor friend. Here too, terrible quality of work. Here too, is an inauguration keeping in mind the elections, not the sentiment. And then, the usual trolls and shameless politicians trying to blame the Indian Navy,” Thackeray added in the post. (ANI)
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