In an unfortunate incident has occurred at Rajkot Fort in Malvan, Sindhudurg, where the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj has collapsed. A video of collapsed statue has gone viral on social media. The statue, which was inagurgated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 4, 2023, to mark Navy Day, was erected as a tribute to the bravery of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. However, within a year of its installation, the statue has fallen, leaving Shivaji Maharaj's admirers deeply upset. The reason behind the collapse remains unclear, and no official statement has been provided by the administration regarding the cause.
Responding to this event MLA Vaibhav Naik from the Thackeray group expressed strong criticism of the incident, accusing the government of using substandard materials in the construction of the statue. He stated, "The construction of this statue was done in poor quality. Now the government will shift the responsibility to someone else. The government has spent money for this statue. Therefore, cases should be registered against the guilty officials, otherwise, as Shiva lovers, we will protest not only in the district but in the entire state."
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Supriya Sule NCP(SP) leader posted on X saying, "When the Prime Minister of the country inaugurates a monument or structure, the people are sure that his work will be of high quality. But the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj erected at Rajkot fort at Malvan in Sindhudurga collapsed within a year. This is an insult to Chhatrapati Shivarai. Specially, this memorial was inaugurated by Prime Minister Hon. It was done by Narendra ji Modi on 4th December 2023. It is obvious that the work of this statue was of poor quality, which means that the statue collapsed before completing a year. In this sense, this is an open deception of the Prime Minister and the people as well. There is a need for a thorough investigation into why the work of this statue was of inferior quality and many other things.
Atul Londhe, Congress chief spokesperson, also condemned the incident, accusing BJP leaders of exploiting Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's name for political gain while failing to honor his legacy properly. He remarked, "BJP leaders have consistently used Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's name for politics and sought votes but have always insulted Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Maharashtra. A statue on Rajkot beach has collapsed due to shoddy construction. The people of Maharashtra will never forgive these people who have committed corruption even in the work of Maharaj's statue."
What did Deepak Kesarkar said?
Minister Deepak Kesarkar, while expressing his unawareness of the incident, termed it as very unfortunate. He assured that an investigation would be conducted into the matter. "I am not aware of this incident. If this has happened, it is very unfortunate. Our Guardian Minister being the Minister of Public Works Department, I am sure he will investigate all this. An investigation will be done, but the priority will be to erect this statue immediately. Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the statue. It is where Chhatrapati Maharaj built the first sea fort. That is why our government will do whatever needs to be done immediately," said Kesarkar