The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi on Sunday took out a march in Mumbai to protest the collapse of Shivaji Maharaj's statue and rejected Prime Minister Narendra Modi's apology over the incident, stepping up the political confrontation with the ruling Mahayuti ahead of the assembly polls.
Claiming that the statue incident was being "politicised" by the Opposition, the ruling BJP also demonstrated in various parts of the state.
The 'jode maro andolan' (hitting with slippers) protest reflected the unity among the Maha Vikas Aghadi partners- Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (SP), and Congress, pitted against the ruling troika of Shiv Sena, BJP, and NCP.
Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray, and state Congress chief Nana Patole laid wreaths at a memorial dedicated the martyrs of the joint Maharashtra' agitation in south Mumbai, before leading the march from Hutatma Chowk to the Gateway of India.
They slammed the Union and state governments over the statue crash, with Thackeray dismissing Modi's apology as one "smacking of arrogance". Pawar alleged the statue episode was an example of corruption.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde hit back at Thackeray and accused him of playing politics in the name of Shivaji but emulating the deeds of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb and Bijapur general Afzal Khan --both highly polarising figures in Maharashtra and the Maratha history.
The statue of the 17th century Maratha warrior king at Rajkot fort in Malvan tehsil fell on August 26, over eight months after it was unveiled by PM Modi on the occasion of Navy Day.
"Did you notice the arrogance in the (Prime Minister Narendra Modi's) apology? It smacked of arrogance. One deputy chief minister was smiling," Thackeray told a gathering after the culmination of the march at Gateway of India.
Asserting that the people of Maharashtra will never forgive the insult to the revered king, Thackeray cited the statue crash, leakages in Ram Temple and the new Parliament complex to mock Modi's "guarantees".
"The PM apologised for what? For the statue, he inaugurated eight months ago? For the corruption involved? The MVA cadre must work together to defeat the forces that have insulted Shivaji Maharaj. The collapse of the statue is an insult to the soul of Maharashtra," the former chief minister said.
Speaking at a function in Palghar on Friday, PM Modi said Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is not just a name or a king but a deity. "Today, I bow my head at his feet and apologise to my deity," he had said.
Addressing MVA leaders and workers at the protest march, Pawar said the collapse of the statue was an example of corruption. "It is an insult to all Shivpremis (followers of the warrior king)".
Patole said, much before the PM, the opposition had sought forgiveness from the Maratha emperor for allowing such "Shivdrohi" (betrayers of Chhatrapati Shivaji's principles) government to come to power.
He alleged the prime minister apologised with an eye on the upcoming elections in Maharashtra.
Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said the collapse of Shivaji Maharaj’s statue has broken the hearts of people in the country who draw inspiration from the legendary warrior king.
“The Mughals didn't succeed in breaking Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. But this corrupt government has done what Mughals could never do,” he alleged.
Several leaders from opposition parties, including Congress MP Shahu Chhatrapati, a descendant of the Maratha emperor, NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule and MLA Anil Deshmukh, joined the protest march, which commenced after 11 am and concluded at noon.
Thackeray joined Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress leaders to hit a poster of CM Shinde and deputy CMs Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar with footwear.
Shahu Chhatrapati said Shivaji Maharaj's must be maintained at all costs.
The protesters placed a bust of the legendary warrior king at Hutatma Chowk, while protesters carried placards denouncing the statue's collapse. They shouted slogans against the Eknath Shinde government.
Sharad Pawar walked some distance before getting into his vehicle.
Shinde, who heads Shiv Sena, said the people of Maharashtra had forced Thackeray to "get out" of power two years ago.
"People of Maharashtra have shown him his place two years ago. You take the name of Shivaji but your deeds of Aurangzebi and Afzal Khani," Shinde said as he accused the Opposition of politicising the statue collapse incident.
He claimed the opposition sensed defeat (in elections) and became jittery over the stupendous success of the Mukhyamantri Ladki Bahin Yojana scheme for women.
BJP leaders and workers held agitations in different cities.
Maharashtra BJP president Chandrakant Bawankule, who joined a protest in Nagpur, said PM Modi had apologised to Shivaji Maharaj as well as the warrior king's followers over the collapse of the statue.
"Despite the PM's apology, the MVA is politicising the issue for vote bank politics. They are trying to spread anarchy ahead of the polls," Bawankule alleged.
Attacking Thackeray, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis wondered whether the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief would seek an apology for comments made by the country's first PM Jawaharlal Nehru on Shivaji Maharaj in his book 'Discovery of India'.
"Why Uddhav and Sharad Pawar mum over the damage caused to Chhatrapati Shivaji's statue in Madhya Pradesh by the (previous) Congress regime. Why didn't they utter a single word on the removal of Chhatrapati's statue in Karnataka. They should first answer this," Fadnavis added.
He accused Congress of teaching wrong history through books stating Shivaji Maharaj had looted Surat.
