35-foot Shivaji statue collapses in Maharashtra; Opposition attacks Shinde govt

A 35-foot statue of Chhattrapati Shivaji Maharaj collapsed in Maharashtra's Sindhudurg district on Monday, and opposition leaders attacked the state government.

A massive statue of Chhattrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Maharashtra's Sindhudurg district collapsed on Monday, an official said. The 35-foot statue was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Rajkot Fort in Malvan, and collapsed at around 1 pm on August 26, said officials.

A 35-foot statue of Shivaji Maharaj collapsed in Maharashtra's Sindhudurg (HT/Yogesh Naik)

The statue was unveiled by PM Modi on December 4 last year on the occasion of Navy Day, after which he participated in the festivities at the Rajkot Fort.

Following the incident, the opposition parties have slammed the state government, alleging it had paid little attention to the quality of work. The exact cause of collapse is yet to be ascertained, but preliminary report suggests it was due to heavy rains and gusty winds over the past two days in the city.

Senior officials of the police and district administration reached the site to take stock of the situation, and the damage is being examined. Meanwhile, opposition leaders in Maharashtra took potshots at the Eknath Shinde-led government for “poor quality” of work.

NCP (SP) state president and former minister Jayant Patil said, "The state government is responsible for the collapse, as it did not take proper care. The government paid little attention to the quality of work. It only focused on conducting an event where Prime Minister Narendra Modi was invited to unveil the statue. This Maharashtra government only issues new tenders, accepts commissions and gives contracts accordingly."

Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Vaibhav Naik further slammed the government for evading responsibility. He said, “The state government may try to evade responsibility. People responsible for the construction and erection of the statue must be probed thoroughly.”

Speaking about the statue collapse, Maharashtra Minister Deepak Kesarkar said, "I don't have all the details about the incident. However, it's important to note that PWD Minister Ravindra Chavan, also the guardian minister of Sindhudurg district, has said a thorough investigation will be conducted in the matter."

"We are committed to erecting a new statue at the same location. This statue, unveiled by PM Modi, pays tribute to Shivaji Maharaj's visionary efforts in building a sea fort. We will take all necessary steps to address this matter promptly and effectively," he said.

(With inputs from PTI)