Collapsed statue of Shivaji Maharaj was built by Navy; government to install bigger one there: Devendra Fadnavis

Mumbai: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj which collapsed in Sindhudurg district a day ago was built by the Navy, but the state government has now decided to install a bigger statue of the Maratha warrior king at the same place.

The 35-foot statue of the 17th century Maratha empire founder, unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Rajkot fort in Malvan tehsil of Sindhudurg on Navy Day (December 4) last year, collapsed on Monday afternoon.

Speaking to reporters here, Fadnavis said, "The construction of the statue was not overseen by the state government but by the Navy. The individuals responsible for the fabrication and installation of the statue might have overlooked important local factors, such as high wind speed and the quality of the iron used. The statue might have become more prone to rust due to its exposure to ocean winds." It is a question now whether the makers of the statue had comprehended all these factors before making it, the senior BJP leader said.

"It is our resolve to build a bigger statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at the same site," he added.

An inquiry into the statue collapse incident was underway, he said.

Asked about the opposition parties targeting the state government over the incident, Fadnavis said, "The collapse of the statue is painful, but the opposition parties' stand on it is distasteful. There is no need to politicise the issue as it would be seen as shallow." After the statue collapsed on Monday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde claimed that the wind speed of 45 km per hour led to the incident.

State Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Ravindra Chavan on Monday stated that the PWD officials had found rust on the statue and wrote a letter to the Navy informing them. Local police also filed a case against contractor Jaydeep Apte and structural consultant Chetan Patil at a police station in Sindhudurg district.

The opposition parties have targeted the state government saying the statue was installed in haste ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.