The Navy termed the collapse of the statue as unfortunate and said it had sent a team to join the investigation to find out what caused the collapse. Photo: PTI
A statue of Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a fort in Maharashtra’s coastal Sindhudurg district just eight months ago, collapsed on Monday, an official said, with the chief minister blaming “strong winds” for the toppling.
As the incident caused embarrassment to the state government and drew sharp criticism from the opposition, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde vowed to rebuild the structure, which he said was designed and built by the Indian Navy.
Asked about the collapse, Shinde told PTI: “The wind was blowing at a speed of 45 km per hour, which led to the statue falling. It is unfortunate that the statue fell as it was designed and built by the Navy. However, our guardian minister (Ravindra Chavan) has reached the spot to assess the situation and we will rebuild this statue even stronger. Navy officials will also be involved in the reconstruction efforts.”
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde says, “The incident that took place is unfortunate. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is the revered deity of Maharashtra. This statue was erected by the Navy. They had also designed it. But due to strong winds of around 45 kmph, it fell down and got damaged.… image.twitter.com/CRSimZ08gk— AIN (@ANI) August 26, 2024
The Public Works Department (PWD) staff will visit the site on Tuesday, the CM said.
Sindhudurg Guardian Minister Chavan, who holds the PWD portfolio, said, A case has been registered against M/s Artistry firm owner Jaydeep Apte and structural consultant Chetan Patil (both involved in the statue project) in Sindhudurg.
The BJP minister said, “The Maharashtra government paid Rs 2.36 crore to the Navy for the installation of the statue. However, the entire procedure of selecting the artist and its design was done by Navy officials.
The work order was issued on September 8, 2023, he reported.
Chavan said the steel used to make the statue had started rusting. The Public Works Department had already written to the Navy officials informing them that the statue was rusting and had asked them to take appropriate measures.
The Navy called the statue’s collapse unfortunate and said it had sent a team to join the investigation to find out what caused the collapse.
In a statement issued late last night, the Navy said it will begin measures to restore and reinstall the statue as soon as possible.
“The Indian Navy notes with deep concern the damage caused this morning to the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj which was unveiled on Navy Day on 4th December 2023, as a dedication to the citizens of Sindhudurg.
“Together with the State Government and the specialists involved, the Navy has sent a team to immediately investigate the cause of this unfortunate accident and initiate steps to repair, restore and reinstall the statue as soon as possible,” the statement said.
The 35-foot statue of Shivaji Maharaj collapsed around 1 pm at Rajkot Fort under Malvan tehsil of Sindhudurg district in Konkan region, about 480 km from Mumbai, the official said.
Experts will determine the exact cause of the collapse, but the coastal district has witnessed heavy rains and gusty winds for the past two to three days, he said.
PM Modi had inaugurated the statue of the 17th century warrior king on Navy Day (December 4) last year and participated in the celebrations at the fort.
The opposition Nationalist Congress Party (NPP) lashed out at the Mahayuti government over the incident.
NCP (SP) state president and former minister Jayant Patil said, “The government is responsible for the collapse because it did not take proper care of the statue. The government paid little attention to the quality of work. It was only focused on holding an event where Prime Minister Modi was invited to inaugurate the statue. This Maharashtra government is only issuing new tenders, accepting orders and awarding contracts accordingly.”
Her party colleague and Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule has called for an inquiry into the entire episode.
In a post on X, he said, “The collapse of the statue within a year reflects poorly on the quality of work and calls for a thorough inquiry into the shoddy construction. The construction of the statue was entrusted to a Thane-based contractor. It is now clear how he must have done his job. We demand that the contractor and his companies be blacklisted.”
When the Prime Minister of the country inaugurates a monument or structure, people are sure that his work will be of high quality. But the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj erected at the Rajkot Fort at Malvan in Sindhudurga collapsed within a year. This is an insult to Chhatrapati Shivarai. special… image.twitter.com/sCwo9eVMbK– Supriya Sule (@supriya_sule) August 26, 2024
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray was relentless in his criticism of the Shinde-led government.
“The Shivaji Maharaj memorial at Rajkot Fort was completed in a hurry, keeping in view the Lok Sabha elections. The responsibility for this incident lies solely with the Shinde government, which prioritises contractors over the work itself. The same arrogance was behind the hasty completion of the Shivaji Maharaj statue,” he said.
Vaibhav Naik, a Shiv Sena (UBT) legislator from Sindhudurg district, denounced the shoddy construction work of the structure. “The state government may try to shirk responsibility, but the people responsible for the construction and installation of the statue must be investigated thoroughly,” he demanded.
Naik, along with his supporters, allegedly vandalised the local PWD office in Malvan town to protest against the collapse of the statue of the revered warrior king, a police official said.
Cabinet Minister Deepak Kesarkar, who hails from the Konkan region, reiterated the government’s commitment to rebuild the structure.
“We have committed to erecting a new statue at the same location. The statue inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi last year pays tribute to Shivaji Maharaj’s visionary efforts in building a sea fort. We will take all necessary steps to address this issue in an expeditious and effective manner,” the Shiv Sena minister said.
Meanwhile, former Rajya Sabha MP Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati published his old letter written to the PMO on December 12 in which he said that “the statue does not look like a good piece of art”.
(Only the headline and image of this report may have been reworked by Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
First published: August 27, 2024 | 8:10 a.m. IS
Disclaimer:
The information contained in this post is for general information purposes only. We make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the post for any purpose.
We respect the intellectual property rights of content creators. If you are the owner of any material featured on our website and have concerns about its use, please contact us. We are committed to addressing any copyright issues promptly and will remove any material within 2 days of receiving a request from the rightful owner.