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A 35-foot statue of Maratha King Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December 2023, has collapsed in Maharashtra's Sindhudurg district, triggering political controversy. The incident, which occurred on August 26, 2024, at Rajkot Fort in Malvan, has led to accusations of negligence and poor quality construction from opposition parties. The collapse comes just eight months after the statue's unveiling, sparking debates about accountability and the state government's role in the incident.
The opposition, led by the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Shiv Sena (UBT), has pointed fingers at the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, claiming that it prioritized a high-profile event with Prime Minister Modi's presence over the quality of the construction work. NCP leader Jayant Patil asserted that the government's focus was on the event and not on ensuring the statue's stability, while Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Vaibhav Naik called for a thorough investigation into the matter. The Congress party also joined the criticism, highlighting the incident as a manifestation of corruption within the BJP government.
The state government, however, has defended its actions, vowing to investigate the collapse and rebuild the statue. Maharashtra Minister Deepak Kesarkar, while acknowledging that details of the incident are still emerging, affirmed that a thorough investigation will be conducted under the guidance of the Public Works Department (PWD) minister. He emphasized the importance of the statue, which commemorates Shivaji Maharaj's contributions to maritime defense, and assured the public that all necessary measures will be taken to rectify the situation and construct a new statue at the same location.
Source: 35-Foot Tall Statue Of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Unveiled Last Year, Collapses In Maharashtra