Shivaji Maharaj's 35-foot Statue Collapses In Sindhudurg, Oppn Slams Govt

A statue of Maratha King Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a fort in Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg district, collapsed on Monday, an official said.

Following the incident, the opposition parties have slammed the state government, alleging it had paid little attention to the quality of work.

KADI NINDA ALERT | The 35-foot statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, proudly unveiled by coalition dealer, Narendra Modi, at a fort in Sindhudurg district eight months ago collapsed today.

We humbly request everyone to do ‘Kadi Ninda’ to strongly condemn the reckless act of… pic.twitter.com/KKuWyYcLuH

— Congress Kerala (@INCKerala) August 26, 2024

A 35-foot statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj collapsed around 1 pm at Rajkot Fort in Malvan, the official said.

Experts will ascertain the exact cause of the collapse, but the district has witnessed heavy rains and gusty winds in the last two to three days, he said.

Senior officials of the police and district administration reached the site to take stock of the situation, and the damage is being examined, he said.

PM Modi unveiled the statue on December 4 last year on the occasion of Navy Day. He also participated in the celebrations at the fort.

NCP (SP) state president and former minister Jayant Patil said, “The state government is responsible for the collapse, as it did not take proper care. The government paid little attention to the quality of work. It only focused on conducting an event where Prime Minister Narendra Modi was invited to unveil the statue. This Maharashtra government only issues new tenders, accepts commissions and gives contracts accordingly.”

Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Vaibhav Naik also criticised the state government for the alleged poor quality of the work.

“The state government may try to evade responsibility. People responsible for the construction and erection of the statue must be probed thoroughly,” he said.

Maharashtra Minister Deepak Kesarkar said, “I don’t have all the details about the incident. However, it’s important to note that PWD Minister Ravindra Chavan, also the guardian minister of Sindhudurg district, has said a thorough investigation will be conducted in the matter.”

“We are committed to erecting a new statue at the same location. This statue, unveiled by PM Modi, pays tribute to Shivaji Maharaj’s visionary efforts in building a sea fort. We will take all necessary steps to address this matter promptly and effectively,” he said.