100 ft statute must now be built, says Maharashtra Minister Deepak Kesarkar after collapse of Shivaji statue

Sindhudurg: After a 35-foot Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue in Sindhudurg collapsed on Monday, Maharashtra Minister Deepak Kesarkar said that it is sad, but a 100 feet tall statue should be made in its place.

He also said that he would speak to the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister and have all the estimates ready.

Kesarkar said, "I haven't been there yet. But I have to say that this statue was erected there by the Navy. They said that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was the first naval king and they built the statue in his honour. It is sad but there will be good things now. There was a demand from the people that a 100-foot statue should be built here. I will also talk to the CM and Deputy CM and we have the estimates ready for building it."

"If that statue has broken now, then a 100-foot-tall statue should be made in its place. This is my feeling," he added.

The collapse of the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj has drawn sharp criticism with UBT Sena MLA Aditya Thackeray blaming the BJP's arrogance for this.

"We will never tolerate the insult of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, who is our and all Maharashtra's idol. Chhatrapati Shivaji's memorial in Malvan, which was built in haste keeping the elections in sight and inaugurated by Modi ji, collapsed today in just 8 months. The contractor regime of the government is the reason for this, but even more dangerous is the mentality of the BJP. They have the arrogance that we will do anything and get away with it. Because of that arrogance, Maharaj's memorial was made in haste without considering the seriousness of it. The intention was to use only the Maharaja's image, so the quality of the memorial was not taken into account. Didn't even hear what the locals said," Thackeray said in a post on X.

Leader of Opposition and Congress MLA Vijay Wadettiwar called for a detailed probe into the incident.

"This is the state of Chhatrapati's statue in eight months. This incident must be investigated. At least Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj should have been left in your percentage. It has been proved that this government is not based on Chhatrapati's values. Today the people of Maharashtra can see why we are saying that the Mahayuti government in the state is a government of great destruction. A statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj should be installed at this place once again in Dimakha, but the contractor who has mentioned Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj should be blacklisted. We demand immediate withdrawal of all ongoing work of the concerned contractor. Punishment must be given to those who insulted Maharaj," Wadettiwar said.

Earlier, local police filed an FIR against contractor Jaydeep Apte and structural consultant Chetan Patil following the collapse of the 35-foot Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue in Sindhudurg.

The FIR, registered under sections 109, 110, 125, 318, and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), was confirmed by Sindhudurg Police.

The incident ignited criticism from the opposition parties, who targeted the state government over poor infrastructure.

AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi hit out at the BJP and said that the collapse is a reflection of the poor quality of infrastructure built by the Central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Samajwadi Party (SP) Chief Akhilesh Yadav criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the collapse of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's statue in Maharashtra, stating that every BJP construction project falls victim to corruption.

The Indian Navy noted with deep concern the damage caused on Monday morning to the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj that was unveiled on Navy Day on December 4, 2023, as a dedication to the citizens of Sindhudurg.

The collapsed statue was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Rajkot Fort, Sindhudurg, Maharashtra, on December 4, 2023.