Palghar (Maharashtra): In a significant move, PM Modi apologised on Friday for the fall of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s statue at Rajkot Fort in Malvan. His words acknowledged the importance of the Maratha warrior, whom he described as more than a ruler but a deity he adored.
“Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is not just a king for us; he is a deity. I bow my head and apologise to Maharashtra and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj for the incident in Malvan. We don’t use great men for politics,” said Prime Minister Modi at the foundation stone laying function for the Rs 76,000 crore Vadhvan port in Palghar district.
“When I came here, I bowed my head at the feet of Shivaji Maharaj and asked for forgiveness. People who consider Shivaji Maharaj a deity they adore are worried (after the statue’s fall). I also apologise to those who worship a deity we all adore. Our culture is different. For us, nothing is bigger than Aradhya Diwata (adorable deity),” said PM Modi.
“When in 2013 the BJP confirmed me as the prime ministerial candidate, the first thing I did was to go to Raigad Fort and sit in front of the Samadhi of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and pray and start a new journey of national service,” he said.
He slammed the Opposition, especially the Congress, for insulting and abusing Savarkar but not apologising.
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“India’s great son Veer Savarkar is abused. They (Opposition) crush the sentiments of patriots. Even after insulting Savarkar, they do not apologise. They go to court, but they do not repent. This is their tradition,” he said.
The PM’s move to apologise came after Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar also apologised amid outrage over the crash of the statue which PM Modi inaugurated at Rajkot Fort in Malvan in December last year.
Besides, PM Modi’s public apology comes when the Opposition is stepping up attacks against the ruling Mahayuti government in Maharashtra.
The Maha Vikas Aghadi has organised an agitation at Hutatma Chowk on Sunday to protest the statue’s collapse and alleged corruption in giving the project to a Kalyan-based contractor instead of a reputed contractor and sculptor, bypassing the stipulated norms.
The 35-foot statue of the 17th-century Maratha warrior king collapsed on Monday (August 26, 2024) afternoon.
Chetan Patil, the structural consultant identified in the FIR, was arrested on Friday in connection with this case.
The episode embarrassed the state government, led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and sparked criticism and demonstrations from opposition parties. Shinde stated that the statue was designed and built by the Indian Navy.
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–IANS
