Averring that the Chhatrapati Shivaji Mahraa’s statue collapsed recently in Maharashtra because of the “bad intentions” of the BJP government, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi of the Congress said on Saturday that “there is no use of bowing before Shivaji Maharaj after scaring people and destroying the Constitution and institutions in the country”.

Speaking at a function after unveiling a 20-feet tall statue of Shivaji Maharaj in Kasba Bawda in Kolhapur district of western Maharashtra, Rahul said:  “The BJP erected Shivaji Maharaj’s statue in Rajkot fort of Sindhudurg. But after a few days, it collapsed and broke. This all happened because of the BJP’s bad intention. The BJP does not respect Shivaji Maharaj’s ideology”

“A statue is installed only when we respect the thought of that individual.  We are carrying forward the ideology Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj fought for his entire life. If we do not carry forward that ideology, there is no point in unveiling the statue,” Rahul said.

"If you invoke the name of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, then you must respect the Constitution and the ideology he stood for. Shivaji Maharaj always took along people of all sections of the society...There is no use of bowing before Shivaji Maharaj after scaring people, destroying the Constitution and institutions in the country,” the Congress leader said in his stinging criticism of the Narendra Modi government.

Rahul said that the country was witnessing a fight between two ideologies.    

"The Congress party today is fighting against the same ideology that Shivaji Maharaj fought against,” he said.

Linking the Indian constituti0n to Shivaji, Rahul said: “The Indian Constitution is a manifestation Shivaji Maharaj stood for. If people like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Shahu Maharaj were not there, the Constitution also would not have been there.”

Rahul’s comments should be seen in the context of the collapse of a 35-feet tall Shivaji Maharaj statue on August 26 at Rajkot fort at Malvan in Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra, within nine months after it was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 4, 2023 as part of the Navy day celebrations.

Later on August 30, Prime Minister Narendra Modi apologised to Chhatrapati Shivaji over the collapse of his statue. “Shivaji Maharaj is not merely a name, a revered king or a great personality but a deity,” Modi said.

Meanwhile, the ruling BJP workers staged a black flag demonstration in front of the Kolhapur airport when he arrived in the western Maharashtra city to take part in various programmes. The BJP workers also staged protests in other parts of Kolhapur.