An uproar erupted in Maharashtra on Monday after the newly inaugurated statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Malvan, Sindhudurg collapsed. Cabinet Minister and MLA from Sawantwadi, Deepak Kesarkar arrived in Malvan on Tuesday morning to inspect the site and said, "It was an accident. The Navy erected this statue and PM Modi was about to come here, so it was done swiftly at that time and everyone praised it."
A 35-foot statue of Maratha King Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj collapsed on Monday at Rajkot Fort in Malvan. It was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 4 last year.
What The Minister Said
After inspecting the site Kesarkar added that now there is an opportunity to build a bigger statue in the Arabian Sea. "If a similar, very tall statue is built here, it will be an attraction for the entire country. Tourists come to Malvan, so if this is deliberated upon and built like the Statue of Liberty, it will be a tribute to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj."
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Kesarkar added that it is sad, but a 100-foot-tall statue should be made in its place. He also said that he would speak to the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister and have all the estimates ready.
Navy Issues Statement
Indian Navy issued a statement on the damage to Statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Rajkot Fort, Sindhudurg.
"Indian Navy notes with deep concern the damage caused this morning to the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj that was unveiled on Navy Day on 04 Dec 2023 as a dedication to the citizens of Sindhudurg."
Along with the State Government and concerned specialists, the Navy has deputed a team to immediately investigate the cause of this unfortunate accident and initiate steps to repair, restore and reinstate the statue at the earliest," the statement said.
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What Happened Exactly
A 35-foot statue of Maratha King Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj collapsed on Monday (August 26) at Rajkot Fort in Malvan. The statue that collapsed was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Maharashtra's Sindhudurg district on December 4 last year as part of the Navy Day celebrations at the fort.
The statue collapsing within one year of installation led to angry reactions from netizens as well as opposition political leaders in Maharashtra. It drewn sharp criticism with UBT Sena MLA Aditya Thackeray blaming the BJP's arrogance for this. Leader of Opposition and Congress MLA Vijay Wadettiwar called for a detailed probe into the incident.
