Apologising to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed regret over the 35-foot-tall statue of the Maratha warrior that collapsed earlier this week in Sindhudurg’s Rajkot Fort.
“Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is not just a name or a king. For us, he is our deity. Today, I bow my head at his feet and apologise to my deity,” the prime minister said while addressing the foundation stone laying event of Vadhvan Port project in Maharashtra’s Palghar district.
He also expressed regret to people who revere Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj as their “Aaradhya Dev” and to the Maratha king’s supporters.
“Those who consider Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to be their Aaradhya Dev, I bow my head and apologize to those who have been deeply hurt by this Aaradhya Dev. I bow my head and apologize to those who have been deeply hurt by this Aaradhya Dev. My values are different. For me, there is nothing greater than my Aaradhya Dev,” he added.
On August 26, a 35-foot statue of the Maratha ruler that was unveiled by Prime Minister Modi at Rajkot Fort in Sindhudurg district, Maharashtra, on the celebration of Indian Navy Day, toppled.
The prime minister also poked fun at opposition leaders for repeatedly disparaging and assaulting Hindutva ideologue and liberation fighter Veer Savarkar and his philosophy.
“Our values are different. For us, nothing is bigger than our deity. Some people keep abusing Veer Savarkar but are not ready to apologise for insulting him, they are ready to go to the courts and fight,” he said.
Satyaki Savarkar, Savarkar’s grandson, has filed a criminal defamation lawsuit, which Congressman Rahul Gandhi is defending. The Hindutva ideologue is accused of being falsely accused by the LokSabha LoP during his speech in London.
On August 26, a 35-foot monument of the Maratha ruler that the Prime Minister had unveiled at Rajkot Fort in Sindhudurg district, Maharashtra, on the celebration of Indian Navy Day, toppled.
The Indian Navy was responsible for the statue’s design and construction, according to Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. The Indian Navy launched an investigation into the incident after the statue collapsed.
Six days before the building collapsed, the Maharashtra PWD had written to a Naval official expressing worries over rust accumulation on Shivaji Maharaj’s statue and suggesting permanent solutions.
In the meantime, Kolhapur has seen the arrest of Chetan Patil, a structural expert who was mentioned in the first information report filed regarding the collapse occurrence. Kolhapur Superintendent of Police Mahendra Pandit stated that P atil was brought into jail late on Thursday night and turned over to the Sindhudurg police for additional investigation.
Statewide indignation followed the statue’s collapse, with the opposition accusing the administration of demeaning Shivaji Maharaj.
