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Controversy erupts over Shivaji statue collapse

Mumbai: The collapse of statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj has ignited controversy in Maharashtra. The 35-ft (10.6m) statue in Sindhudurg district collapsed on 26 August amid heavy monsoon rains. The massive statue was built  at a cost of Rs 23.6 million. The 35-feet tall statue was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December last year. It  was built to pay tribute to the famous warrior king Shivaji, known for his resistance against the Mughal Empire.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has issued an apology to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and those affected by the incident. The Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, and Sindhudurg District’s Guardian Minister extended their condolences on behalf of the government. The Indian Navy, under whose supervision the statue was erected, also expressed regret. Criminal charges have been filed against the sculptor and the structural auditor responsible for erecting the statue. The state government also established  a joint committee between the Navy and the state government to investigate the collapse. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde also  declared plans to construct a grand statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at the same location.

Meanwhile,  the opposition has heavily criticized the state government.  Opposition leaders, including Vijay Wadettiwar, Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly; Ambadas Danve, Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council; NCP leader Jayant Patil; Congress leader Satej Patil; and Aaditya Thackeray of the Uddhav Thackeray faction, visited the Rajkot Fort to assess the situation. Opposition leaders like Sanjay Raut and Jitendra Awhad, posted images of the fallen statue on social media to inflame public sentiment. NCP leader Sharad Pawar has accused the state government of corruption, alleging that the statue’s collapse was a result of shoddy workmanship rather than natural causes.

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However, many believe the opposition has been exaggerating the incident and injecting a communal angle into the state’s political and social landscape. Residents of Sindhudurg criticized the opposition’s actions, stating that the sacred land of Malvan, historically significant due to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, has been turned into a political battleground by hasty political maneuvers.

Several people criticized  the current actions of the opposition leaders. Members of Uddhav Thackeray’s faction were provoking Narayan Rane’s supporters in Malvan, senior leaders such as Sharad Pawar, Congress President Nana Patole, and Uddhav Thackeray were accused by citizens of injecting a communal tone into their press conference in  Mumbai.During the press conference, caste-based remarks were made against the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister, with Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis being referred to as a “descendant of the Peshwas.”

The opposition’s current actions, seen by some as an attempt to turn Maharashtra into another political battleground like Bangladesh under the guise of the statue controversy. The BJP alleges that the Congress initiated this divisive trend in 1948, which continues even 75 years after independence. MNS Chief Raj Thackeray has criticized the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) for fostering casteism in Maharashtra since its inception, frequently targeting Sharad Pawar and his affiliates for allegedly fueling the Brahmin vs. non-Brahmin conflict.

Legislative Assembly elections are speculated to be held in Maharashtra in 2024 to elect the 288 members of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.The tenure of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly is scheduled to end on 26 November.[1] The previous Assembly elections in Maharashtra were held in October 2019.

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