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A tale of two Shiv Srushti’s in Pune
With Shah visiting the city to inaugurate the Narhe Ambegaon project, the Opposition parties Congress and NCP have cornered the BJP over PMCs proposed Shiv Srushti project at Chandni Chowk
Almost three decades after historian Babasaheb Purandare proposed a Shiv Srushti (Shivaji’s memorial) at Ambegaon, its first phase is nearing completion and scheduled to be inaugurated by Union home minister Amit Shah on November 20. However, at the same time, the proposal to build a Shiv Srushti at Chandni Chowk has almost died a quiet death with the government and the civic body ignoring the plan.
With Shah visiting the city to inaugurate the Narhe Ambegaon project, the Opposition parties Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) have cornered the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) proposed Shiv Srushti project at Chandni Chowk.
PMC had proposed a Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj memorial at Kothrud garbage depot and made reservation for the plan. However, when the land was needed for Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited’s (Maha-Metro) Pune Metro yard, the BJP, the then ruling party in PMC, demanded shifting of the project from the depot land to Chandni Chowk.
Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who was the then chief minister, had taken the lead to solve the land issue. The Congress and the NCP were of the view to plan Shiv Srushti and Metro at Kothrud garbage depo, but the BJP promised to construct Shiv Srushti on a 100-acre land at Chandni Chowk and turn it into a tourist spot.
Fadnavis had called a meeting of politicians, officials and others to discuss the issue at Mumbai on February 6, 2018. Representatives of political parties present at the meet decided to shift the Shiv Srushti project from Kothrud garbage depot to Chandni Chowk. Except the Congress, other parties celebrated the proposed project’s new location. However, the plan still remains on paper.
Congress leader Arvind Shinde said, “When the then CM Fadnavis approved the Shiv Srushti plan at Chandni Chowk, BJP members wore saffron turban and celebrated the decision at the PMC general body meeting, besides giving speeches and distributing sweets. They promised to build a bigger memorial than Ambegaon. With no progress in the Chandni Chowk project, even BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis has cheated Punekars.”
NCP city unit president Prashant Jagtap said, “Though Devendra Fadnavis promised PMC to erect Shiv Srushti at Chandni Chowk, he promoted the Ambegaon plan set up by private hands. The BJP used Shivaji Maharaj’s name, but did nothing despite Pune being his birth place.”
The Shiv Srushti project in Ambegaon was conceptualised by late Shivshahir Babasaheb Purandare, who had formed the Maharaja Shivchhatrapati Pratishthan for its execution.
Late Babasaheb Purandare used the income received from the sale of tickets of his mega play, “Janta Raja”, to build Shiv Srushti where both scholars and commoners would get information about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the Maratha Empire. He purchased 27 acres at Ambegaon through the Maharaja Shivchhatrapati Pratishthan under the Shiv Sena government led by the then chief minister Manohar Joshi.
Babasaheb spent Rs25 crore from his own pocket (sale of tickets of “Janta Raja”) on the project.
