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Shivaji statue collapse: Amid opposition flak, Fadnavis' ‘Navy oversaw…’ defense
The 35-foot-tall statue of the Maratha warrior king was unveiled on Navy Day last December. It collapsed on Monday afternoon.
Maharashtra's deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday clarified that the statue of Maratha icon Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj which collapsed in Sindhudurg district a day ago, was not built by the state government.
He said it was constructed by the Indian Navy. He said his party's government in the state will erect a bigger statue of the warrior king.
The 35-foot-tall statue of the Maratha warrior king was unveiled on Navy Day last December. It collapsed on Monday afternoon.
Fadnavis said those responsible for the fabrication and the installation of the statue overlooked important local weather factors and the quality of the iron.
"The construction of the statue was not overseen by the state government but by the Navy. The individuals responsible for the fabrication and installation of the statue might have overlooked important local factors, such as high wind speed and the quality of the iron used. The statue might have become more prone to rust due to its exposure to ocean winds," he said.
Also read: Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue collapse: FIR filed against contractor Jaydeep Apte
He said the authorities were probing why the statue collapsed.
He also called the opposition's stand on the matter "distasteful".
"The collapse of the statue is painful, but the opposition parties' stand on it is distasteful. There is no need to politicise the issue as it would be seen as shallow," he added.
Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde claimed on Tuesday that it collapsed due to the wind speed of 45 km per hour.
State Public Works Department (PWD) minister Ravindra Chavan on Monday said that the PWD officials had found rust on the statue and wrote a letter to the Navy informing them.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray accused the BJP of corruption.
"It is unimaginable that the statue of our deity, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj would also be a subject of the BJP's corruption. Here too, a favoured contractor friend. Here too, the quality of work. Here too, is an inauguration keeping in mind the elections, not the sentiment. And then, the usual trolls and shameless politicians try to blame the Indian Navy," Thackeray said in a statement.
With inputs from PTI, ANI
