In a recent address at the inauguration of Vadhvan Port, Prime Minister Narendra Modi apologized for the collapse of the statue of the warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Maharashtra. The Prime Minister expressed his regret, saying, "Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is our revered figure; I apologize to him."
Modi's apology came amid growing tensions in Maharashtra. The state Congress party organized a protest against both the state and central governments over the incident involving the statue in Sindhudurg. On Friday, Mumbai police detained Youth Congress leaders and other activists who were demonstrating against the Prime Minister's visit to the city, demanding a formal apology for the statue's collapse.
Protesters put up posters around Mumbai, showing a split image of Modi inaugurating the statue and the collapsed structure. Mumbai Congress President and Lok Sabha MP Varsha Gaekwad led a demonstration at Shivaji Park in Dadar, holding a miniature statue of Shivaji Maharaj to mark the protest.
Varsha Gaikwad intensified her criticism of PM Modi, demanding accountability for the collapse of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue in Malvan. She questioned the Prime Minister about the statue’s foundation ceremony in the Arabian Sea and highlighted the statue's failure at Rajkot Fort in Malvan just eight months after its unveiling. Gaikwad accused the administration of corruption and urged Modi to offer an apology.
The 35-foot statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj collapsed on August 26. The statue was unveiled on December 4 of the previous year as part of Navy Day celebrations in Sindhudurg, which aimed to honor the Maratha Navy's legacy and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's contributions to maritime defense and security.
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