Shivaji Maharaj statue collapse: Min Deepak Kesarkar suggests erecting 100-foot statue

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj`s statue installed at Rajkot Fort in Malvan/ CMO

Maharashtra cabinet minister Deepak Kesarkar has suggested that the recent collapse of the Shivaji Maharaj statue could lead to something positive, proposing the construction of a new 100-foot statue at the same site. He urged that politics be kept out of the matter.

The 35-foot statue of the Maratha Empire's founder, unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Rajkot Fort in Malvan tehsil last December, collapsed on Monday afternoon due to heavy winds. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde stated that the statue was conceived and built by the Indian Navy.

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Kesarkar, who is from the coastal Sindhudurg district, stressed that an investigation alone will not be enough to assuage public anger, despite the fact that the state government will conduct one. "Until a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is installed in the Arabian Sea, the largest statue of the Maratha founder should be built in Malvan. The statue should be around 100 feet tall," Kesarkar told a news conference.

He speculated that the Shivaji Maharaj statue collapse could have a positive effect, saying, "Possibly, something good might come out...that is why this accident occurred."

Following the collapse, police have filed charges against Jaydeep Apte, the contractor, and Chetan Patil, the structural consultant. The allegations include portions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) dealing with culpable homicide, endangering life, attempted murder, and defrauding, as well as Section 3 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act.

In response to complaints from the opposition, Chief Minister Shinde has promised to rebuild the statue.

BJP MLA Apologises for Shivaji Maharaj Statue Collapse

On Tuesday, BJP leader Ashish Shelar tendered an apology on behalf of the Maharashtra government following the collapse of a 35-foot statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Sindhudurg district. The statue, unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Rajkot Fort on December 4, last year, toppled on Monday afternoon.

Shelar, who also leads the Mumbai BJP unit, expressed great regret over the Shivaji Maharaj statue collapse. "The collapse of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's statue is extremely unfortunate, painful, and distressing." We regret to all Maharashtra people on behalf of the government for this tragedy," he added in a statement to media.

He stated that an ongoing inquiry would expose the causes of the statue's collapse, characterising it as a "painful incident" for everyone. Shelar, a Mumbai MLA, pledged that the statue be reconstructed to restore the revered Maratha leader's pride, self-respect, and Hindutva image.