Mumbai (Maharashtra): Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said the state government has now decided to install a bigger statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at the same place - Rajkot Fort in Sindhudurg district.
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.
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, who was flanked by Mumbai BJP chief and MLA, Ashish Shelar, told reporters here.
"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."
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday claimed that the wind speed of 45 km per hour led to the incident.
