A 35-foot statue of Maratha King Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj collapsed in Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg district on Monday. The mammoth statue was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a fort in December last year.
Following the incident, the opposition parties have cornered the state government, alleging it had paid little attention to the quality of work.
Taking notice of the collapse, the Indian Navy has dispatched a team of experts to investigate the cause of the collapse of the statue.
A 35-foot statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj collapsed around 1 pm at Rajkot Fort in Malvan, PTI reported.
The report said experts will ascertain the exact cause of the collapse, however the district has witnessed heavy rains and gusty winds in the last two to three days.
Earlier, top brass from police and administration visited the spot to take stock of the situation, and examine the extent of the damage.
Last year on the occasion of Navy Day, Modi inaugurated the statue. He had also participated in the celebrations at the fort.
Opposition corners Government:
Meanwhile, NCP (SP) state president and former minister Jayant Patil said, "The state government is responsible for the collapse, as it did not take proper care. The government paid little attention to the quality of work. It only focused on conducting an event where Prime Minister Narendra Modi was invited to unveil the statue.
This Maharashtra government only issues new tenders, accepts commissions and gives contracts accordingly."
Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Vaibhav Naik also criticised the state government for the alleged poor quality of the work.
"The state government may try to evade responsibility. People responsible for the construction and erection of the statue must be probed thoroughly," he said.
Maharashtra Minister Deepak Kesarkar said, "I don't have all the details about the incident. However, it's important to note that PWD Minister Ravindra Chavan, also the guardian minister of Sindhudurg district, has said a thorough investigation will be conducted in the matter."
"We are committed to erecting a new statue at the same location. This statue, unveiled by PM Modi, pays tribute to Shivaji Maharaj's visionary efforts in building a sea fort. We will take all necessary steps to address this matter promptly and effectively," he said.
