A day after the shocking collapse of a 35-feet tall statue of Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Rajkot Fort in Sindhudurg district, the Indian Navy on Tuesday deputed a team to investigate the cause of the sudden crash of the imposing Shivaji statue, even as the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) rooted for registration of an FIR against those responsible for the mishap.

In a statement issued to the media, the Indian Navy expressed its “deep concern” over the incident and said: “Along with the State Government and concerned specialists, the Navy has deputed a team to immediately investigate the cause of this unfortunate accident and initiate steps to repair, restore and reinstate the statue at the earliest”.

On a day when the Opposition MVA rooted demanded registration of an FIR against those responsible “hastily” erecting the tall Shivaji statue on the Navy Day on December 4, 2023, the Congress staged protests in Karad, Kolhapur and Nashik in protest against the collapse of the monument within nine months after its installation.

Former chief minister and senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan, who led the protest in home town of Karad in western Maharashtra, said that Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde, deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Ravindra Chavan should accept their “moral responsibility” for the collapse of Shivaji’s statue and resign from their posts.

Alleging that the statue of Shivaji came to be erected at Rajkot fort in Sindhudurg district with a political intent ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, Chavan said: “The material used and the work that went into the construction was of inferior quality. There was corruption in the construction of the statue. The incident has caused a blot on the self-respect of Maharashtra. Chief minister Shinde, his deputy Fadnavis and PWD Minister Ravindra Chavan should resign from their posts, accepting moral responsibility”.

Following the Shivaji statue collapse, Thane-based sculptor Jaydeep Apte and structural consultant Chetan Patil have come under scanner. Also under the scanner is an Assistant Engineer of the Public Works Department.

That the statue was erected “hastily” could be evidenced from the fact that the work order for the erection of the state was issued on Sep. 8. 2023. The statue was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi 85 days later on December 4, 2023. 

Demanding registration of an FIR against the Maharashtra government and the Centre in connection with the incident, State Congress President Nana Patole said: “Ministers in the state government are now shirking their responsibility. They are pointing fingers at the central government. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is the deity of Maharashtra.  We will not tolerate any insult or disrespect to iconic Shivaji Maharaj”.

“The BJP-led coalition government in Maharashtra is a commission agent. This government takes commission in cement, sand, bricks and iron. They are not ashamed of anything. The task of erecting a grand idol of Shivaji Maharaj was given to Apte, a novice and inexperienced sculptor from chief minister Shinde’s home district of Thane. As much as Rs 2.36 crore was spent on this work, while Rs 5 crore was spent on beautification,” Patole said.

“Actually, the task of erecting the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj should have been given to an expert and experienced person. Salt water in the sea, speed of wind should have been studied but in the name of taking credit and commission, the government has insulted Maharaj without paying attention to the quality of work,” Patole said.

Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut claimed that even Aurangzeb and Mughals did not insult Shivaji Maharaj “in a manner  as the BJP-led MahaYuti government has done. “We demand the resignation of the chief minister for hurting the feelings of (the people of) Maharashtra. Public Works Department Minister Ravindra Chavan should be sacked. They did not even spare Shivaji Maharaj when it came to corruption,” Raut said,

MNS President Raj Thackeray said: “Statues, monuments are only for political convenience. I have said many times in the past that the real memorial of the Maharaj is not some grand statue, but his forts and forts…People should destroy this system of politicizing symbols. And only if that happens, we can say that we are living in Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's Maharashtra.”