Palghar (Maharashtra): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday apologised to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and those hurt by the collapse of the Maratha warrior king's statue in Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra.
"Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is not just a name or a king. For us, he is our deity. Today, I bow my head at his feet and apologise to my deity", Modi said, after laying the foundation stone of the Rs 76,000 crore Vadhvan Port project in Maharashtra's Palghar district.
"Our values are different. For us, nothing is bigger than our deity," Modi said. Some people keep abusing Veer Savarkar but are not ready to apologise for insulting him, he said.
"The moment I landed here, I first apologised to Shivaji Maharaj over the statue collapse. I also apologise to the people who were hurt by the collapse," he said.
Modi had unveiled the statue in December last year during the Navy Day celebrations in Sindhudurg district. The statue was aimed at honouring the legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj towards maritime defence.
The Maharashtra government has announced that a joint technical committee headed by the Navy with representatives from the state government and technical experts will investigate the reasons for the statue collapse on Monday.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar have apologised for the incident. There have been widespread protests in Maharashtra after the incident. Several leaders of the ruling BJP including Union Minister Narayan Rane have visited the spot where the statue collapsed.
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which is part of the Maharashtra government, also held protests in parts of Maharashtra.
