Sindhudurg (Maharashtra): A statue of Maratha Warrior King Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, erected at Rajkot Fort in Maharashtra's Sindhudurg district just eight months ago, collapsed on Monday. The statue was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the Navy Day function on December 4, 2023.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde told reporters in Ratnagiri that the incident was unfortunate. "The opposition parties have a lot of time to criticise us. I will not go into it. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is the god for Maharashtra and the statue was built by the Navy and the design was also of the Navy," Shinde said.
"I spoke to the District Collector, who told me that the wind was 45 kmph coming and the statue got damaged. Navy officials and Sindhudurg Guardian Minister Ravindra Chavan are going to the spot and we will immediately rebuild the statue," he added.
The Chief Minister appealed to the people to maintain law and order in the state. Sindhudurg guardian minister Ravindra Chavan, who holds the PWD portfolio, said that a case has been filed against the proprietor of the firm M/s Artistry, Jaydeep Apte, and structural consultant Chetan Patil (both involved in statue work) in Sindhudurg.
The BJP minister said, "The Maharashtra government paid Rs 2.36 crore to the Navy for the statue's installation. However, the entire procedure of selection of artist, its design was done by Navy officials. The work order was given on September 8, 2023."
Chavan said that the steel used in the making of the statue had started rusting. "The PWD had already written to Navy officials informing them about the statue catching rust and requested them to take appropriate steps," he added.
Navy Deputes Team To Probe Collapse
Meanwhile, the Indian Navy ordered an investigation into the collapse of the statue. In a late-night statement, the Navy said that it had deputed a team to immediately investigate the cause of the "unfortunate accident" and initiate steps to repair, restore and reinstate the statue at the earliest.
"The Indian Navy notes with deep concern the damage caused this morning to the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj that was unveiled on Navy Day on December 4, 2023, as a dedication to the citizens of Sindhudurg," the Navy said."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," it added.
Maha Minister Says Govt Committed To Erecting A New Statue
Maharashtra Minister Deepak Kesarkar said that the state government is committed to erecting a new statue. "I don't have all the details about the incident. However, it's important to note that PWD Minister Ravindra Chavan, also the guardian minister of Sindhudurg district, has said a thorough investigation will be conducted in the matter," said Kesarkar.
"We are committed to erecting a new statue at the same location. This statue, unveiled by PM Modi, pays tribute to Shivaji Maharaj's visionary efforts in building a sea fort. We will take all necessary steps to address this matter promptly and effectively," added Kesarkar.
Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) MP Supriya Sule demanded action against the contractor, who built the statue. In a post on X, Sule, daughter of NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) chief Sharad Pawar, said, "The statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj collapsed. The work to erect the statue was given to a contractor from Thane. I demand that the contractor should be blacklisted."
"The statue collapsed within one year. This is an insult to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. It is clear that the work was not done properly and in a way, the Prime Minister and the public have been cheated. A probe should be ordered to ascertain why the quality of the work was below standard," Sule said in another post on X.
Sambhaji Chhatrapati, a descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, described the incident as an unfortunate one. "The statue which was which in haste to be inaugurated by the Prime Minister, collapsed. We had written a letter to the Prime Minister to change the statute, which was not constructed properly. Unfortunately, the statue collapsed. A new memorial of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj must be erected in that place. Let it happen after a while, but it should be proper," added Sambhaji Chhatrapati.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray said that they will not tolerate insult to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. In a post on X, Aaditya, son of former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, said, "The statue of Shivaji Maharaj, which was built, keeping in mind the elections, collapsed within 8 months. The BJP's mindset is responsible for it." Aaditya alleged that the opinion of locals was ignored while erecting the statue.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray in a post on X said he was pained by the incident. (With agency inputs).
