Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde and Opposition Clash Over Shivaji Maharaj Statue Incident
Nagpur (Maharashtra) [India], September 1: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde criticized the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) protest, calling it ‘political’. He expressed sadness over the opposition’s actions regarding the Shivaji Maharaj statue issue. Shinde stated that the people of Maharashtra would reject the opposition in the upcoming elections.
Shinde said, “This is a very sad thing for us. Shivaji Maharaj cannot be a political issue for us, this is a matter of identity and faith for us. The incident that happened was unfortunate. Doing politics on it is a sad thing and the opposition is doing politics on this. Two JCBs were brought to break the statue of Shivaji Maharaj in Karnataka, and that statue was uprooted, those who did this should be beaten. Instead of doing this, they (MVA) are protesting here, but the people of Maharashtra are wise, they are seeing this. In the coming elections, the people of Maharashtra will beat them with shoes.”
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut responded, saying the Aghadi would not remain silent after such a significant incident. He accused BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis of being behind the counter-protest and criticized the BJP’s actions.
Congress leader Bhai Jagtap also condemned the government, stating that they had no shame after the statue’s collapse. He questioned why PM Modi did not visit the site and accused the BJP of insincerity.
NCP-SCP leader Rajesh Tope emphasized that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is the pride of Maharashtra and that the incident hurt the state’s spirit. He argued that the protest march was a democratic right and criticized the government for not granting permission.
The MVA’s protest march aimed to condemn the incident, while the BJP staged a counter-protest accusing the MVA of politicizing the issue. The 35-foot-tall statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Sindhudurg district collapsed on August 26, after being unveiled on December 4 last year during Navy Day celebrations.
Doubts Revealed
Maharashtra -: Maharashtra is a state in western 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 a state in India.
Eknath Shinde -: Eknath Shinde is a politician and the current Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
Opposition -: The opposition refers to the political parties that are not in power and often criticize the government.
Shivaji Maharaj -: Shivaji Maharaj was a great Maratha king and warrior who founded the Maratha Empire in India.
Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) -: Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) is a political alliance in Maharashtra, consisting of parties like the Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and Indian National Congress.
BJP -: BJP stands for Bharatiya Janata Party, a major political party in India.
Sanjay Raut -: Sanjay Raut is a politician and a member of the Shiv Sena party.
Bhai Jagtap -: Bhai Jagtap is a politician and a member of the Indian National Congress party.
Rajesh Tope -: Rajesh Tope is a politician and a member of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).