Devendra Fadnavis Announces Plan for Larger Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Statue After Collapse
Sindhudurg, 27th August 2024: On Tuesday, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis clarified that the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, which fell in Sindhudurg district, was not funded or built by the state government but by the Indian Navy. He also announced that his party’s administration would construct a larger statue of the Maratha leader.
The 35-foot statue of Shivaji Maharaj, unveiled on Navy Day last December, collapsed on Monday afternoon. Fadnavis explained that the statue’s fabrication and installation were managed by the Navy, and suggested that factors such as high wind speeds and the quality of the iron used may have been inadequately addressed, leading to its deterioration.
“The state government did not oversee the construction of the statue; it was under the Navy’s purview. Issues such as local weather conditions and the quality of materials used may have contributed to the statue’s failure, particularly due to exposure to coastal winds,” he stated.
Fadnavis also criticized the opposition’s reaction, calling it “distasteful” and urging against politicizing the incident, as he believes it undermines the seriousness of the issue.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde attributed the statue’s collapse to wind speeds reaching 45 km/h.
On Monday, State Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Ravindra Chavan reported that rust was discovered on the statue, prompting PWD officials to notify the Navy.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray accused the BJP of corruption in the matter. “It’s shocking that even a statue of our revered leader, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, is tainted by the BJP’s corruption. This situation reflects poorly on the quality of work and suggests that political motives rather than genuine sentiment influenced the inauguration. The usual trolls and dishonest politicians are now trying to shift the blame to the Indian Navy,” Thackeray said in his statement.
