In response to the recent collapse of the Statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Rajkot Fort in Sindhudurg, a joint technical committee has been formed to investigate the incident.
The committee, led by the Indian Navy and including representatives from the Maharashtra Government and other technical experts, aims to determine the causes behind the damage, which occurred due to exceptional weather conditions.
The statue, a 35-foot-tall tribute to the Maratha king, was unveiled on December 4, 2023, during Navy Day celebrations in Sindhudurg. The event, which marked the first time Navy Day was celebrated in this region, was designed to honour Shivaji Maharaj's legacy in maritime defence and his historical connection with the modern Indian Navy.
The project, spearheaded by the Indian Navy and funded by the state government, was intended to pay homage to the contributions of Shivaji Maharaj to India's naval history.
The collapse of the statue, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has sparked significant political and public reaction. On Monday afternoon, the statue fell, leading to immediate criticism and calls for accountability.
Ajit Pawar, leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and other opposition figures have voiced their concerns, questioning the government's handling of the situation and the explanations provided.
Uddhav Thackeray of Shiv Sena (UBT) expressed scepticism over the government's claims that the statue fell due to strong winds. Thackeray pointed out that the Rajya Bhavan, located on the seashore, had not experienced such severe impacts, questioning how the statue could be so easily toppled by the wind.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde attributed the incident to strong winds, while Congress President Nana Patole criticised both the central and state governments, accusing them of focusing more on corruption than on addressing such issues.
In the wake of the collapse, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar offered an apology to the people of Maharashtra and promised that strict actions would be taken against those responsible for the incident.
The state government has assured that the investigation will be thorough and that measures will be implemented to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
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