Mumbai: In a fiery address during a protest organized by the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in Mumbai, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray strongly criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s apology regarding the collapse of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue in Sindhudurg. Thackeray described the apology as “smacking of arrogance” and accused the Prime Minister of attempting to cover up corruption.
The statue, which was unveiled by PM Modi on December 4, 2023, collapsed on August 26, 2024, leading to widespread outrage in Maharashtra. Thackeray, addressing the crowd at the protest, stated, “There was arrogance on the face of Prime Minister Narendra Modi while tendering an apology. Maharashtra will not accept Modi’s apology and will teach the ruling party a lesson”.
Thackeray further alleged that the collapse of the statue was a result of poor-quality work and corruption. “Wherever there was the hand of Modi, including the Ram temple, Parliament House, and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue, every work was proved to be of low quality,” he added.
The protest, which saw participation from key MVA leaders including Sharad Pawar and Nana Patole, was marked by a march from Hutatma Chowk to the Gateway of India. Sharad Pawar echoed Thackeray’s sentiments, calling the incident an insult to Shivaji Maharaj and a clear example of corruption.
In response, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde stated that Shivaji Maharaj should not be a political issue and criticized the opposition for politicizing the incident. “This is a matter of identity and faith for us. The incident that happened was unfortunate, but doing politics on it is sad,” Shinde remarked.
The collapse of the statue has sparked a significant political controversy in Maharashtra, with both sides accusing each other of exploiting the situation for political gain. As the state gears up for upcoming elections, the incident is likely to remain a contentious issue.
