Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders, including NCP (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Congress state unit chief Nana Patole, on Sunday (September 1) held a march from the iconic Hutatma Chowk to Gateway of India in Mumbai to protest against the collapse of a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Sindhudurg district.
Sharad Pawar and NCP (SP) Mumbai head Varsha Gaikwad began the protest march by laying wreaths at Hutatma Chowk, a memorial to those martyred in the ‘Samyukta Maharashtra’ agitation. Baramati MP Supriya Sule was also present.
The statue of the 17th century Maratha warrior king at Rajkot fort in Malvan tehsil, fell on August 26. It was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 4, 2023, on the occasion of Navy Day. The protest march was to give voice to the anger of the people of Maharashtra over the statue collapsing only eight months after it was unveiled, said NCP (SP) leader Rajesh Tope and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sunil Prabhu.
The march, which began sometime after 11 am and came to an end around noon, also included Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray, Kolhapur Congress MP Shahu Chhatrapati and MLA Anil Deshmukh. A bust of the legendary warrior king was placed at Hutatma Chowk, while those taking part in the protest march carried placards denouncing the statue collapse and shouted slogans against the Eknath Shinde-led government.
Pawar walked some distance as part of the protest march before getting into his vehicle.
The Mumbai Police earlier increased security in response to the protest march, as security personnel were stationed throughout the city to maintain order.
Uddhav Thackeray criticised the BJP-led Mahayuti government for the statue’s collapse at Rajkot Fort last month, stating that: “Two days ago, people saw how the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj fell and the kinds of statements being made. Raj Bhavan is on the seashore, yet even the Governor’s hat never flew off. They say the statue fell due to strong winds–how is this possible?”
On August 30, Youth Congress leaders and other party workers were detained while protesting the prime minister’s visit to Mumbai, demanding a public apology from him over the collapse of the statue. Modi said he bowed his head and apologised to the people of Maharashtra hurt by the collapse.
“Those who consider Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj as their deity and have been deeply hurt, I bow my head and apologise to them. Our values are different. For us, nothing is bigger than our deity,” he said.
Chetan Patil, the structural consultant for the statue, was arrested in Kolhapur. An FIR was filed under sections 109, 110, 125, 318, and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has announced that the state government is taking swift action to reconstruct the statue. Two committees have been formed, including one to probe the collapse in Malvan. An official statement from the Indian Navy stated that a joint technical committee, led by the its officials as well as including representatives from the state government and technical experts, is being established to investigate the damage to the statue. The investigation will consider severe weather conditions that may have contributed to the incident.
(With PTI inputs)
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