Case over Shivaji statute unveiling an honour: Amit Thackeray

The statue was unveiled by Thackeray, accompanied by around 70 MNS workers, on Sunday afternoon, amid chants of ‘Jai Shivaji, Jai Bhavani’

NAVI MUMBAI: A row has erupted in Navi Mumbai over Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Amit Thackeray, son of party chief Raj Thackeray, forcibly unveiling a statute of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Nerul that had allegedly been awaiting inauguration for more than six months.

The statue and the canopy housing it were covered again on Monday (Bachchan Kumar/HT Photo)

The statue was unveiled by Thackeray, accompanied by around 70 MNS workers, on Sunday afternoon, amid chants of ‘Jai Shivaji, Jai Bhavani’ even as the police personnel on duty, clearly outnumbered, looked on. When evening fell, the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) turned on the multi-colour lights installed in the premises, which seemed to suggest that all was well.

But around 8.30pm on Sunday, the NMMC issued a media statement condemning the forcible opening of the statue, saying its “surroundings are still under construction”.

Around the same time, the Nerul police also booked Thackeray and other MNS leaders and workers for rioting and unlawful assembly.

A defiant Thackeray later told reporters, “My first case is for Maharaj. If fighting for his honour is a crime, I will commit thousands more.”

“From today, the statue is open for public darshan and worship. We will not allow anyone to play with Maharashtra’s pride,” he said.

The MNS leader alleged that the statue had been awaiting inauguration for more than six months, and while various political leaders had time to attend the airport inauguration and events during Diwali, and Dasara, they had “no time for Maharaj”.

“The statue was ready but left gathering dust because ministers had no time. This insult had to end,” he said.

The NMMC, in the statement released on Sunday evening, said, “The official inauguration will be announced soon. Unveiling without permission is unlawful.” It also covered the statue and the canopy housing it again on Monday.

Senior inspector Brahmanand Naikwadi said Thackeray, MNS Navi Mumbai president Gajanan Kale, local unit chief Abhijit Desai, and around 70 others had been booked for unlawful assembly, rioting, obstruction of in the work of public servants, mischief, and assault on public servants.

Kale, also the MNS spokesperson, accused the government of “selective justice,” citing the reopening of a Jain community’s pigeon shelter in Mumbai despite a High Court order.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray backed Amit on social media platform X, writing: “In our own state, if we don’t honour our own deity, whose should we honour? For four months Maharaj’s statue was covered with filthy cloth. Amit unveiled it to preserve his honour, yet a case is filed against him. Maharashtra will not tolerate this oppression.”

Senior BJP leader Satish Nikam too criticised the NMMC, saying: “Last year, the statue was placed, painted, and then covered for a year. Even the paint has faded. Why this insulting treatment of Maharaj? What is the NMMC’s problem? Is someone stopping them?”