Shinde skips Shivaji statue unveiling in Nerul as BJP, Sena clamour for credit

The statue, constructed at a cost of ₹46 lakh, became the centre of high-voltage political drama last Sunday when Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Amit Thackeray unveiled it forcibly, alleging it had been awaiting inauguration for more than six months

Navi Mumbai: The official inauguration of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue in Nerul on Friday was supposed to be a show of unity for the ruling Mahayuti coalition. But the evening’s inaugural event witnessed much political discord, as deputy chief minister and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde stayed away from the ceremony, leaving the mantle to BJP leader and Airoli MLA Ganesh Naik.

Ganesh Naik (left, in white shirt) inaugurated the statue on Friday. (Bachchan Kumar/ HT PHOTO)

The statue, constructed at a cost of ₹46 lakh, became the centre of high-voltage political drama last Sunday when Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Amit Thackeray unveiled it forcibly, alleging it had been awaiting inauguration for more than six months. Thackeray and other MNS leaders and activists were subsequently booked for rioting, unlawful assembly, assault on public servants and other offences. The incident set off a chain of events that culminated during Friday’s official inauguration ceremony.

Angered with the purported delay in inaugurating the statue, several Shinde loyalists openly opposed Friday’s programme. Thane MP Naresh Mhaske, who boycotted the event, said the second unveiling of the statue was inappropriate.

“Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is everyone’s god,” he said. “His statue had been ready for five months but remained covered. MNS leader Amit Thackeray inaugurated it last week, and yet an unveiling was planned again. It is wrong to fight for credit using the name of Maharaj.”

MNS Navi Mumbai chief Gajanan Kale echoed the sentiment.

“All of Maharashtra is asking why the statue had to be unveiled again,” Kale said. “Covering up and reopening the statue is disrespectful.”

While Shinde’s absence at Friday’s event added further grist to murmurs of unease within the Mahayuti coalition, the discord was highly hyperlocal, centred on who could seek credit for constructing the statue and memorial.

Naik, who was present at the evening’s event alongside Belapur BJP MLA Manda Mhatre, municipal commissioner Kailas Shinde and local BJP leaders, stressed that the idea for the statue came from former mayor Jaywant Sutar.

Sutar had planned to stage a protest against the delay in inauguration, Naik claimed, while attributing the delay to the unavailability of the top brass in the state government.

“The commissioner wanted the statue to be unveiled by the chief minister and the two deputy chief ministers. We had even planned for an online inauguration in case they were unable to come personally. Unfortunately, even that did not happen,” Naik said.

The BJP leader, while addressing the gathering, positioned himself as Navi Mumbai’s “first citizen” in the absence of an elected mayor. He also urged the police to withdraw the case against Amit Thackeray, saying the MNS leader’s action was spontaneous and driven by devotion rather than defiance.

“Shivaji Maharaj is loved by all sections of society. Amit did not want to break the law but he wanted to awaken the administration,” Naik said. “I have worked with Raj Thackeray and they are not people who want to break the law. This should not be a political issue.”