Maharashtra CM Shinde Orders Investigation After Shivaji Maharaj Statue Collapse in Malvan
Mumbai, 27th August 2024: In response to the collapse of a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Malvan on Monday, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde expressed his concern over the incident. “This is a deeply unfortunate event. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is a revered figure in Maharashtra. The statue, designed and erected by the Navy, was damaged due to strong winds of approximately 45 km/h,” Shinde stated. He added that officials from the Public Works Department (PWD) and the Navy would visit the site to investigate the cause. “I immediately dispatched PWD Minister Ravindra Chavan to the site upon learning of the incident. We will thoroughly investigate and ensure the statue is reinstalled at the same location,” he assured.
BJP Minister Ravindra Chavan provided additional details, noting that the state had allocated Rs 2.36 crore to the Navy for the statue’s installation. “However, the entire process, from selecting the artist to designing the statue, was handled by the Navy,” Chavan said. He also mentioned that the state PWD had alerted the Area Coastal Security Officer on August 20 about the statue’s unstable condition. Despite repairs conducted in June by sculptor Jaydeep Aapte, local complaints about the statue’s shakiness persisted.
The Navy released a statement expressing its concern over the damage to the statue. “The Navy is deeply concerned about the damage to the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. We are collaborating with the state government and specialists to investigate the cause of this unfortunate incident and will take immediate steps to repair, restore, and reinstate the statue,” the statement read.
However, the opposition criticized the government’s handling of the situation. Chhatrapati Sambhajiraje of Kolhapur, a direct descendant of Shivaji Maharaj, voiced his disapproval. “The statue, hastily erected for inauguration by the Prime Minister, has collapsed! We had previously written to the PM, expressing concerns that the statue was poorly crafted and did not meet the standards of proper sculpture. In Maharashtra, it is unheard of for a memorial to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to fall within a year of its installation. How can we speak of preserving Maharaj’s forts when we cannot even safeguard his memorials?” Sambhajiraje commented in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
