A 35-foot statue of Maratha King Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year, collapsed on Monday at Rajkot Fort in Maharashtras Sindhudurg district. The statue, which was part of a grand dedication on Indian Navy Day, fell at around 1 PM, prompting immediate attention from local authorities.Senior officials from the police and district administration rushed to the site to assess the damage and investigate the incident. Heavy rains and gusty winds over the past few days are suspected to have contributed to the collapse, though experts are conducting a thorough examination to determine the exact cause.Sindhudurg, Maharashtra: The full-sized statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj has collapsed. More details are awaited pic.twitter.com/hYK3opSS7M— IANS (@ians_india) August 26, 2024Investigations underwayThe statue was designed in collaboration between the state government and the Indian Navy, with experts in the field overseeing its construction. Following its unveiling, the statue was handed over to local authorities for maintenance. The Indian Navy has expressed deep concern over the incident and has dispatched a team to investigate. In a statement, the Navy said, “Indian Navy notes with deep concern the damage caused this morning to the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj... Along with the State Government and concerned specialists, the Navy has deputed a team to immediately investigate the cause of this unfortunate accident and initiate steps to repair, restore, and reinstate the statue at the earliest.आमचं आणि साऱ्या महाराष्ट्राचं आराध्य दैवत असलेल्या छत्रपती शिवाजी महाराजांचा अपमान आम्ही कदापि सहन करणार नाही!निवडणुका डोळ्यांसमोर ठेवून घाईघाईत बनवलेलं आणि मोदीजींच्या हस्ते उद्धाटन झालेलं छत्रपती शिवरायांचं मालवण इथलं स्मारक आज केवळ ८ महिन्यातच कोसळलं.मिंधे सरकारची… pic.twitter.com/gHPJFgCliY— Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) August 26, 2024FIR filedIn response to the incident, an FIR has been filed against Jaydeep Aapte, proprietor of M/s Artist Company, and structural consultant Chetan Patil. The Malvan police have booked the two individuals as part of the ongoing investigation.BJP सरकार में भ्रष्टाचार चरम पर है।नरेंद्र मोदी ने 4 दिसंबर, 2023 को महाराष्ट्र के राजकोट में छत्रपति शिवाजी महाराज की प्रतिमा का अनावरण किया।अब करीब 8 महीने बाद छत्रपति शिवाजी महाराज की प्रतिमा ढह गई।हालात ये हैं कि भ्रष्टाचार के मामले में महापुरुषों को भी नहीं बख्शा जा… pic.twitter.com/KLSy4Jkr8S— Congress (@INCIndia) August 26, 2024Political reactions and criticismThe collapse has sparked significant political controversy, with opposition leaders slamming the state government for alleged negligence. NCP (SP) leader Jayant Patil, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray, and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi have all criticized the handling of the statues construction and maintenance.Thackeray accused the government of rushing the memorials completion for political gain, saying, We will never tolerate the insult of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj... The memorial, built in haste, collapsed today in just 8 months. The intention was to use only the Maharajas image, so the quality of the memorial was not taken into account.Owaisi echoed these sentiments, stating, The 35-foot Shivaji Statue inaugurated by @narendramodi collapsed today. Its a reflection of the poor quality of infrastructure built by Modi sarkar.Government responseMaharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has ordered a probe into the incident. He confirmed that officials from the Public Works Department (PWD) and the Navy would visit the site to conduct a thorough investigation. The incident that happened is unfortunate. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is the revered deity of Maharashtra... We will find out the reasons behind this incident and reinstall the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at the same place, Shinde said.Maharashtra Minister Deepak Kesarkar emphasized the governments commitment to erecting a new statue at the same location, stating that all necessary steps would be taken to address the situation promptly.
