Maharashtra Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue collapse: Indian Army forms joint committee to probe damage

Indian Army on Thursday said that a joint technical committee headed by the Indian Navy with representatives from the Maharashtra government and technical experts is being formed to investigate the damage to the Statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj installed at Rajkot Fort, Sindhudurg, subsequent to the “exceptional weather conditions in the region”.

Also Read: Maharashtra news: 35-foot Chhatrapati Shivaji statue, unveiled by PM Modi, collapses in Sindhudurg

As reported by ANI, Indian Army noted, “The Statue was unveiled on 4 Dec 23 as part of the Navy Day celebrations conducted, for the first time, in Sindhudurg, aimed at honouring the legacy of the Maratha Navy and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj towards maritime defence and security, and its historical linkage with the modern Indian Navy.”

A 35-foot-tall statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the state's Sindhudurg district collapsed on Monday afternoon.

It further added, “The project was conceptualised and steered by the Indian Navy, in coordination with state govt which also provided funding for it. The Indian Navy remains committed to assisting in all measures to repair, restore, and reinstate the statue at the earliest.”

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The incident snowballed into a political controversy, with the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) targeting the Mahayuti government and seeking Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's resignation.

Earlier on Wednesday, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar apologized to the state's residents for the collapse of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue. Amid rising political tensions and public outrage, he pledged to hold those responsible accountable, with the incident occurring just before the assembly elections.

Various opposition leaders, including Shiv Sena (UBT) Uddhav Thackery, questioned the BJP-led Mahayuti government over the incident.

Also Read: Cracks within Maharashtra NDA? BJP ally Ajit Pawar’s NCP to protest over Shivaji statue’s collapse

Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh shared a video on X in which the country's first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, is seen inaugurating a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Pratapgad on November 30, 1957.

"67 years later, the statue still stands tall and undamaged," Ramesh said.

In a post on X, Congress general secretary, in-charge organisation, K C Venugopal said those who stood against Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's values of swarajya, farmers’ welfare, utmost integrity and inclusion of the backwards and neglected can never be expected to respect his legacy and heritage.

"In true Modi fashion, the priority was to hurriedly construct a statue on 3 months’ notice, so that it is inaugurated by the PM just before elections. What’s more, this shoddy work cost Rs. 236 crores! Will PM Modi apologise to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj for putting his own personal ambitions above Maharaj’s legacy?" Venugopal said on X.

Also Read: ’Even Governor’s hat never flew’: Thackeray slams govt over Shivaji statue collapse; MVA’s march in Mumbai on Sept 1

The Sindhudurg police have filed a case against contractor Jaydeep Apte and structural consultant Chetan Patil, who were involved in the statue project. In Thane, NCP (SP) leaders and workers, part of the MVA coalition, held a protest and consecrated a horse-riding statue of Shivaji Maharaj with milk.

(With inputs from agencies)