In Pune, Ajit Pawar's faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) staged a silent protest on Thursday in response to the recent collapse of a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The 35-foot-tall statue, which had been inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December 2023, fell on Monday afternoon in Sindhudurg district.
The collapse has sparked controversy and criticism from various political figures. Anand Paranjpe, the Maharashtra spokesperson for Ajit Pawar's faction, expressed strong disapproval of the incident.
He criticised the state government's handling of the situation and called for immediate intervention from the Home Minister. According to Paranjpe, the poor construction quality of the statue warrants a thorough investigation and the arrest of those responsible.
Opposition leaders have also weighed in on the matter. Uddhav Thackeray of the Shiv Sena (UBT) challenged the BJP-led Mahayuti government’s explanations for the statue's fall.
Thackeray questioned the claim that strong winds were the cause, arguing that such winds should not have been powerful enough to cause the statue's collapse, especially considering the stability of nearby structures.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde attributed the damage to strong winds, a statement that has not been well received by critics. The controversy has heightened tensions between the ruling and opposition parties, with accusations of mishandling and negligence.
Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole joined the criticism, accusing both the central and state governments of corruption. He condemned the state’s handling of the incident and suggested that the government's negligence was an insult to Shivaji Maharaj’s legacy. Patole described the statue’s collapse as a significant blow to Maharashtra’s pride and called for the resignation of the government officials involved.
Earlier, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar had issued an apology to the people of Maharashtra for the statue's collapse. He promised that those responsible for the incident would face strict punishment. This apology comes amid growing calls for accountability and transparency regarding the statue's construction and the circumstances surrounding its fall.
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