Shivaji Statue Inaugurated by PM Modi Last Year Collapses, Opposition Slams BJP, Maharashtra Govt

New Delhi: Eight months after it was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a statue of Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj collapsed on Monday (August 26) in Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg district.

Built at the Rajkot Fort in Malvan, the 35-foot statue of the warrior king collapsed on the afternoon of August 26, reported The Hindu.

PM Modi had unveiled the statue on December 4 last year as part of Navy Day celebrations at the fort.

Following the collapse of the statue, opposition leaders slammed both the Modi-led NDA government at the Centre and the Mahayuti government in Maharashtra.

Opposition leaders alleged that there was corruption even in matters related to the statue of Shivaji.

“Let us not treat the collapse of the great warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s statute within a year of inauguration by PM Modi casually, please. It is a very serious issue. It was clearly done in a hurry, pre-elections. The people of Maharashtra will give BJP a befitting reply during the upcoming elections, former Congress Spokesperson Sanjay Jha posted on X.

Let us not treat the collapse of the great warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s statute within a year of inauguration by PM Modi casually, please. It is a very serious issue. It was clearly done in a hurry, pre-elections. The people of Maharashtra will give BJP a befitting reply…

— Sanjay Jha (@JhaSanjay) August 27, 2024

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The opposition said that while the forts built by Shivaji Maharaj stand strong even till today, the statue unveiled by Prime Minister Modi, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has vanished.

“It is disgraceful that this government has allegedly siphoned off funds even in the construction of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s statue,” said Leader of Opposition Vijay Wadettiwar.

“However, the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj erected at Rajkot Fort in Malvan, collapsed within a year, which is an insult to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. This memorial was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 4, 2023. The collapse of the statue within a year clearly indicates that the work was of inferior quality. This situation represents a betrayal of both the Prime Minister and the public. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a thorough investigation into the reasons behind the substandard work and other related issues,” said NCP working president and Baramati MP Supriya Sule, reported The Hindu.