New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday apologised for the fall of Shivaji Maharaj’s statue in Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg.
Addressing a rally in Maharashtra’s Palghar, PM Modi said, “Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is not just a name for me, for us Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is our idol. Whatever happened in Sindhudurg a few days ago…today I bow my head at the feet of my idol Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and apologise.”
The statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj unveiled by PM Modi on December 4 last year on the occasion of Navy Day at Rajkot Fort fell on Monday.
CM Eknath Shinde termed the incident as “unfortunate” and promised to reinstall it, saying that the statue installed by the Navy fell and got damaged “due to strong winds of about 45 kmph”.
The collapse of the statue triggered a political storm in the state as the opposition criticised the state government, alleging that it paid little attention to the quality of work.
Sindhudurg Guardian Minister Ravindra Chavan, who holds the PWD portfolio, said, “A case has been registered against Jaideep Apte, owner of the firm M/s Artistry in Sindhudurg, and structural consultant Chetan Patil (both involved in the statue work).”
Chavan said, “The steel used in making the statue had started rusting. The PWD had already written to the Navy informing them about the rusting of the statue and requested them to take appropriate action.”
The Navy also said that it has deployed a team to repair and restore the statue as soon as possible.