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Statue of Shivaji defaced in Goa; probe on
The three-feet-tall statue that was installed outside the industrial estate at Mapusa in north Goa was found defaced at around 6.30am on Monday
The Goa Police has launched a probe after a statue of Maratha warrior king Shivaji was found defaced and vandalised by unknown miscreants during the wee hours of Monday.
The three-feet-tall statue that was installed outside the industrial estate at Mapusa in north Goa was found defaced at around 6.30am on Monday after which a small crowd gathered at the site to demand a quick arrest of the culprits.
“I received a call at around 6.30am today that the statue of Shivaji was broken. I live nearby and when I reached here I saw that someone had taken away the head and the crown. This can’t be done by hand because this is a statue made of fibre (glassfiber), so someone has done it using some kind of weapon or axe or stick. I made a few calls and people gathered and we informed the police. They have come to the spot and have said that their investigations are underway. I urge the police to quickly arrest the culprits and register the FIR we have filed,” Sairaj Toraskar, a nearby resident, said.
Police began a probe and sought CCTV footage from nearby establishments to narrow down on the culprits.
The incident quickly set off a political storm with opposition legislator Vijai Sardesai accusing the government of failing to protect “nationalist heroes” while simultaneously appealing for peace and calm.
“This Goa govt is shamefully inadequate not only to protect #Goemkars (Goans) but also our great nationalist heroes like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. I condemn this dastardly attack; I also condemn the @GovtofGoa and @Goapolice1091! They have once again proved to be a miserable failure in performing even their basic duty of offering protection to life and property,” Sardesai said on X (formerly Twitter).
“The people of Goa have no trust left in the incompetent police or the spineless Govt. I demand the immediate arrest of the culprits, and my request to all Goemkars is to remain peaceful and calm,” he added.
Goa was recently shaken after a mob of people demanded the arrest of a Catholic priest, who they said insulted their religious sentiments after a sermon, in which he is heard calling for a dialogue with Hindus over the role Shivaji has in their faith.
“There are a few people for whom Shivaji has become a god. Shivaji is not a god. Yes, he’s a national hero. We have to honour and respect him. What he has done, the battles he has fought to protect his people, for all that he deserves respect. He is a hero, but not a god. But today the Hindutvavadis have come forward and have made him a god. We have to dialogue with our Hindu brethren and ask them: Is Shivaji your god? or a national hero. If he is a national hero, let it be at that. Don’t make him a god. We need to understand their perspective. If we live in fear, we will not be able to rise again,” the priest was heard saying in a sermon that was delivered in the context of attacks on Christians.
