Mumbai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has issued an apology following the incident in Rajkot, Sindhudurg district, Maharashtra, where the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was damaged. Speaking at a public meeting in Palghar, the Prime Minister stated that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was not merely a king to him and his colleagues but a revered deity. “To me, my colleagues, and everyone else, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was not just a king. He is a revered deity. I apologize to all those who worship Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. I understand that their sentiments have been hurt,” the Prime Minister said.
He also added that when he was first nominated as a Prime Ministerial candidate in 2013, one of his first actions was to visit Raigad Fort and seek blessings at the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The 35-foot tall statue of Shivaji Maharaj, which was inaugurated by the Prime Minister on December 4 last year during Navy Day, collapsed on August 26. The incident has led to a dispute between the ruling and opposition parties in Maharashtra.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has attributed the statue’s collapse to severe coastal winds, while Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has argued that the statue was not built by the government but by the Navy.
In connection with the incident, the Crime Branch has arrested Chetan Patil, the structural consultant who designed the statue. The opposition has accused the project of corruption and is demanding the resignation of the Chief Minister..
