Sangli (Maharashtra): Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should apologise not only to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj but also to every person in Maharashtra for statue collapse.
Gandhi, who is the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, was addressing a public meeting here, after unveiling the statue of former Maharashtra Minister Patangrao Kadam.
The statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj collapsed in the Rajkot Fort in Sindhudurg district. The incident led to widespread protests across Maharashtra following which Prime Minister Narendra Modi apologised to the 17th century Maratha Warrior King. The sculptor of the statue was
"I want to know what was the reason for PM Modi to apologise to Shivaji Maharaj for collapse of his statue," added Rahul Gandhi, who is an MP from Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh.
Rahul Gandhi also said that his party and the INDIA bloc will ensure that there is caste census in the country. "Maharashtra is the bastion of Congress ideology, people here have DNA of our party," added Rahul Gandhi, son of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
Earlier, Gandhi unveiled a life-size statue of late Congress leader Patangrao Kadam. The statue of Kadam, who represented the Palus-Kadegaon assembly seat for several years, has been erected at Wangi in the Sangli district.
Gandhi also visited a museum dedicated to the late leader at Wangi. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge for Maharashtra Ramesh Chennithala, NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, Kolhapur MP Shahu Chhatrapati, former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole and Congress Legislature Party Balasaheb Thorat were among those present at the event.
Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi met the kin of former Congress MP from Nanded Vasant Chavan in Nanded and paid tribute to the departed leader.
