The Indian Navy on Thursday said it conceptualised and steered the project of installing the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s statue, which collapsed in Maharashtra’s Malvan this week, in coordination with the state government which also provided funding for it.
The Indian Navy said, in a statement, it remains committed to assisting in all measures to repair, restore and reinstate the statue at the earliest.
A joint technical committee headed by Indian Navy officials, representatives of the state government and technical experts is being formed to probe the collapse of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s statue in Malvan, it said.
Late on Wednesday night, chief minister Eknath Shinde held a meeting of top officials of the state government and the Indian Navy.
“The Statue was unveiled on 04 Dec 2023 as part of the Navy Day celebrations conducted, for the first time, in Sindhudurg, aimed at honouring the legacy of the Maratha Navy and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj towards maritime defense and security, and its historical linkage with the modern Indian Navy. The project was conceptualised and steered by the Indian Navy, in coordination with the state govt which also provided funding for it”, the statement noted.
Apart from the Maharashtra Police, the Indian Navy has also launched its own probe and promised steps to restore and repair the statue.
Who is responsible?
{{/usCountry}}Apart from the Maharashtra Police, the Indian Navy has also launched its own probe and promised steps to restore and repair the statue.
Who is responsible?
{{/usCountry}}Chetan Patil, a structural engineer named in the FIR related to the incident claimed that he worked only on the base platform and not the actual statue. Patil has been named in the FIR along with the contractor Jaydeep Apte.
Elaborating on the incident, the state Public Works Department (PWD) claimed that the Indian Navy was in a great hurry to complete the statue before its slated inauguration on the Navy Day function on December 4, 2023.
The incident has sparked a political controversy as the opposition parties accuse the Mahayuti coalition government of 'insulting' Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. They have asked for Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's resignation ahead of the assembly polls later this year.
Also read | Shivaji statue collapse: MVA to hold protest march on September 1, demands CM Shinde's resignation
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday alleged that the statue collapsed because of corruption during its construction. He wondered who received the commission from contractors. He also demanded the resignation of deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar over the massive controversy.