CM must quit over Shivaji Maharaj statue collapse: Oppn; govt vows to build bigger structure

Mumbai, Aug 27 (PTI) Under attack over the collapse of a Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue nearly nine months after it was unveiled, the Mahayuti government in Maharashtra on Tuesday said the structure was built by the Navy, while the opposition targeted the ruling alliance and sought Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's resignation.

As the collapse of the statue of Shivaji Maharaj, a revered figure in Maharashtra, in Sindhudurg district threatened to snowball into a major controversy ahead of assembly polls, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the state government has now decided to install a bigger statue of the 17th century Maratha warrior king at the same place.

Maharashtra minister Deepak Kesarkar, who hails from Sindhudurg, proposed a 100-foot statue of Shivaji Maharaj at the same location -- Rajkot Fort in Malvan tehsil in the coastal district -- around 480km from Mumbai. The collapsed statue was 35 feet high.

Following an outrage, the Sindhudurg police also registered a case against contractor Jaydeep Apte and structural consultant Chetan Patil, both involved in the project, over the statue collapse incident. An inquiry was already underway, Fadnavis said.

The Navy said it has noted with "deep concern" the damage caused to the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj that was unveiled on Navy Day 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," according to a statement by the naval force issued by its spokesperson in New Delhi.

The 35-foot statue of the 17th century Maratha empire founder, unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Rajkot Fort on December 4 last year, collapsed on Monday afternoon.

The incident, which comes months ahead of the state assembly polls, has caused an embarrassment to the state government and invited criticism from the opposition parties.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Tuesday alleged a scam in the structure's construction. He also claimed that even Aurangzeb and Mughals did not insult Shivaji Maharaj in such a manner.

"We need the resignation of the chief minister for hurting the feelings of (the people of) Maharashtra. Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Ravindra Chavan should be sacked. They did not even spare Shivaji Maharaj and indulged in corruption," the Sena (UBT) MP added.

The contract to build the statue was given to people close to the chief minister, he alleged, describing it as a serious issue.

Referring to Shinde's statement that the statue fell as winds were blowing at a speed of 45km per hour, Raut said winds along the coast are bound to be gusty.

In 1933, freedom fighter Lokmanya Tilak's statue was installed at Girgaon Chowpatty in Mumbai, but it still stands tall. In 1956, then-PM Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru installed at the Pratapgad Fort in Satara district a statue of Shivaji Maharaj and it was still in the same condition, he maintained.

Nationalist Congress Party (SP) Maharashtra president Jayant Patil termed the collapse as a serious issue and said the government did not take necessary precaution while installing the statue.

“The government is responsible for it. The government organised only an event with the sole purpose of unveiling at the hands of the PM,” Patil said.

Congress MLA Vijay Wadettiwar, Leader of Opposition in the assembly, demanded strict action against the contractor.

Deputy Chief Minister Fadnavis sought to defend the government over the issue.

"The construction of the statue was not overseen by the state government but by the Navy. The individuals responsible for the fabrication and installation of the statue might have overlooked important local factors such as high wind speed and the quality of the iron used. The statue might have become more prone to rust due to its exposure to ocean winds," Fadnavis noted.

It is a question now whether the makers of the statue had comprehended all these factors before installing it, the senior BJP leader asked.

A letter by the PWD has surfaced revealing officials highlighting the structure gathering “rust” and its “unpleasant” looks.

The PWD letter, a copy of it is with the PTI, revealed that an assistant engineer of the department had written to a Navy official about the parts of the structure catching rust and looking unpleasant.

The letter was sent on August 20 by the assistant engineer attached to the PWD office in Malvan tehsil and addressed to Commander Abhishek Karbhari, Area Coastal Security Officer and Area Civil-Military Liaison Officer.

"It is our resolve to build a bigger statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at the same site," Fadnavis asserted.

Asked about the opposition targeting the state government over the incident, Fadnavis said, "The collapse of the statue is painful, but the opposition parties' stand on it is distasteful. There is no need to politicise the issue as it would be seen as shallow." Chief Minister Shinde on Monday claimed that the wind speed of 45 km per hour led to the incident.

Minister Kesarkar said something good might come out of the collapse incident and suggested that politics be avoided on this issue.

In a related development, angered over the collapse, Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Vaibhav Naik vandalised a PWD office in Malvan on Monday evening. Police on Tuesday have filed an FIR against Naik and his supporters for vandalising the PWD office. PTI PR DC ND NP NSK RSY