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The collapse of a 35-foot statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Sindhudurg, Maharashtra, has sparked a wave of controversy and legal action. The incident, which occurred on August 26, 2023, has led to the filing of an FIR against the contractor, Jaydeep Apte, and the structural consultant, Chetan Patil. The police have registered the case under sections 109, 110, 125, 318, and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), highlighting the seriousness of the allegations against the individuals involved.
The statue, unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Rajkot Fort in Sindhudurg on December 4, 2023, as a tribute to the region's residents on Navy Day, suffered substantial damage due to high winds. The Indian Navy, deeply concerned by the incident, has dispatched a team, in collaboration with the Maharashtra government and experts, to investigate the cause of the collapse and to oversee the statue's repair, restoration, and reinstatement.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, while acknowledging the unfortunate nature of the incident, attributed the damage to strong winds, measuring around 45 km/h. He announced that officials from the Public Works Department (PWD) and the Navy would visit the site to conduct a thorough investigation. He further stated that Public Works Minister Ravindra Chavan had been sent to the scene immediately, underscoring the Maharashtra government's commitment to identifying the causes of the collapse and ensuring the statue's restoration at its original location.
The incident, however, has not only sparked an investigation but also ignited a political firestorm. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MP Supriya Sule has called for strong action against the contractor responsible for the statue's construction. Sule, in a post on X, demanded that the contractor and their organization be blacklisted, emphasizing the need for a rigorous investigation into the quality of the statue's construction. Her stance reflects a growing concern about the potential negligence that contributed to the collapse.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, on the other hand, took a different approach, criticizing the haste with which the statue was inaugurated, suggesting that it was driven by electoral considerations rather than a genuine desire to honor Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Raut accused Prime Minister Modi of insulting the historical figure for political gain, further escalating the political tension surrounding the incident. This exchange of accusations between political parties underscores the highly charged atmosphere surrounding the collapse, with each side leveraging the situation for their own political agenda.