The collapse of Maratha King Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue, unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a fort in Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg district last year, leading to exposure of internal conflicts prevailed in the BJP-led coalition, ahead of the Assembly elections.
Amid the ongoing political slugfest in Maharashtra, with the opposition blaming the Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Mahayuti government for rampant corruption in the construction of the 35-foot-long Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue, the Ajit Pawar-led NCP faction on Thursday took an altogether different stance, with the party scheduled to hold a protest against the incident.
The Pawar-led faction, in contrast to its coalition partners who are criticizing the opposition for politicizing the “sad incident,” announced a protest under the leadership of the party’s Mumbai president, Sameer Bhujbal, near the Shivaji Maharaj statue in Chembur, Mumbai, around 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
It may be recalled that Ajit Pawar joined the BJP-led coalition splitting his party after BJP promised him Chief Minister post. However, as Eknath Shinde succeeded in strengthening his position and not giving scope for BJP to replace him, he is cultivating impatience after disastrous results in recent Lok Sabha polls.
NCP chief Ajit Pawar issued an apology on Wednesday for the unfortunate incident to the people of Maharashtra. He stated, “Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is our deity, and for his statue to fall in such a way within a year is a shock for all of us.”
“Whether officials or contractors, action will be taken against those guilty,” the Maharashtra Deputy CM added during a public meeting at his Jan Sanman Yatra in Latur district.
However, amid the opposition’s demands for the resignation of the Mahayuti led coalition government, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis criticized the opposition for politicizing the incident.
He said, “I think no one should do politics on this incident. This incident is unfortunate for all of us; it is a very sad incident. It should be properly investigated, and action should be taken against the culprits, and a grand statue should be installed again at that place”.