Tension erupts in Goa village over installation of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's statue

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Tension erupted in a village near Margao town in Goa following the installation of a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, prompting a police presence to maintain order, according to an official statement issued on Monday.

According to a report in PTI, the incident occurred on Sunday in Sao Jose De Areal hamlet, where a life-sized statue of the Maratha monarch was constructed, resulting in a verbal altercation between two opposing factions, according to an official.

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"The situation is currently under control with the deployment of police personnel in the village," stated Superintendent of Police (South) Sunita Sawant, the report stated.

As per the report, Goa's social welfare minister, Subhash Phal Desai, who visited the village on Sunday, stated that the monument was installed on private land with all essential approvals received from the local panchayat and that the deputy collector was officially notified.

"No one should have objections to the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. It appears some political elements are provoking locals against its installation," he remarked, per the PTI report.

Reportedly, taking to X (formerly Twitter), on Monday, local BJP leader Savio Rodrigues, said that he was called on to intervene by a panch member and a social activist and that he recommended the other party to approach courts if the statue was being erected without due permissions. He also said that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is an important figure in Indian history.

The situation continues to remain tense, he had said in his tweet.

In another tweet, he expressed his disappointment over the incident and said that some people in Goa were equating the Maratha king's sacrifices for the "motherland" as a point of contention for their communal politics, according to the report by PTI.

"As an Indian Christian, I have the highest respect for the contribution of Chhatrapati Shivaji towards protecting our motherland. I am disappointed that some in Goa equate his sacrifices for our motherland as a point of contention to play their communal politics. Shivaji was a hardcore nationalist and every Indian must be inspired by him because of his immense valour and devotion to Bharat Mata," he wrote, per the PTI report.