Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde Calls Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Statue Collapse ‘Unfortunate’
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 26: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde described the collapse of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue at Rajkot Fort as ‘unfortunate’. He announced that officials from the Public Works Department (PWD) and the Navy will visit the site on August 27 to investigate the cause.
Shinde explained that the statue fell due to strong winds of around 45 km/h and assured that the Maharashtra government will reinstall the statue at the same place. ‘The incident that happened is unfortunate. This statue was erected by the Navy. They had also designed it. But due to strong winds of around 45 km/h, it fell and got damaged. Tomorrow, officials from PWD and the Navy will visit the site and investigate the cause behind it. I sent Public Works Minister Ravindra Chavan to the site as soon as I heard about the incident. We will find out the reasons behind this incident and reinstall the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at the same place,’ Shinde said.
The statue, unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Rajkot Fort, Sindhudurg, Maharashtra on December 4, 2023, was damaged in the incident.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MP Supriya Sule demanded action against the contractor responsible for building the statue. In a post on X, Sule said, ‘The statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj erected at the Rajkot Fort in Sindhudurg has collapsed today. The work of erecting this statue was assigned to a contractor from Thane district… We demand that this person and their organisation be blacklisted by all departments… A thorough investigation is essential to determine why the quality of this statue’s work was so poor and to address other related issues.’
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying, ‘The haste with which the statue was inaugurated keeping the Lok Sabha elections in mind, I feel that it was done in a very poor manner. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was insulted for elections and votes. The installation by Modi ji’s hands shows that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj did not want this.’
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Maharashtra -: Maharashtra is a state in the western part of India. It is known for its capital city, Mumbai, which is the financial hub of India.
CM -: CM stands for Chief Minister. The Chief Minister is the head of the government in an Indian state, similar to a principal in a school but for the whole state.
Eknath Shinde -: Eknath Shinde is the current Chief Minister of Maharashtra. He is a politician who leads the state government.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj -: Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was a great Indian warrior king and the founder of the Maratha Empire in the 17th century. He is a very important historical figure in Maharashtra.
Rajkot Fort -: Rajkot Fort is a historical fort located in Rajkot, a city in the state of Gujarat, India. It is a place of historical significance.
PWD -: PWD stands for Public Works Department. It is a government department responsible for building and maintaining public infrastructure like roads and buildings.
Navy officials -: Navy officials are people who work for the Indian Navy, which is the naval branch of the Indian Armed Forces. They help protect India’s waters.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi -: Narendra Modi is the current Prime Minister of India. He is the head of the government for the entire country.
NCP -: NCP stands for Nationalist Congress Party. It is a political party in India.
MP -: MP stands for Member of Parliament. An MP is a person who has been elected to represent the people in the Parliament, which is like a big meeting where important decisions are made for the country.
Supriya Sule -: Supriya Sule is a politician and a Member of Parliament from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). She is known for her work in Maharashtra.
Shiv Sena -: Shiv Sena is a political party in Maharashtra. It was founded by Bal Thackeray and is known for its strong regional pride and focus on the rights of the Marathi-speaking people.
Sanjay Raut -: Sanjay Raut is a politician and a Member of Parliament from the Shiv Sena party. He is known for his outspoken views.
