Shivaji statue collapse: Maha Vikas Aghadi holds protest in Mumbai, Uddhav Thackeray says PM Modi’s apology ‘filled with arrogance’ – India News

Leaders of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) held a protest march from the Hutatma Chowk to the Gateway of India in south Mumbai on Sunday, condemning the collapse of a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg district.

The opposition leaders criticised both the Union and state governments, with Uddhav Thackeray accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of offering an apology that “smacked of arrogance,” while Sharad Pawar pointed to the incident as evidence of corruption.

The statue of the 17th-century Maratha warrior king, located at Rajkot fort in Malvan tehsil, approximately 480 kilometres from Mumbai, fell on August 26. It was unveiled by PM Modi on December 4, 2023, during Navy Day celebrations.

NCP (SP) leader Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Thackeray, Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole and the party’s Mumbai head Varsha Gaikwad commenced the march by laying wreaths at Hutatma Chowk, a memorial honouring those martyred in the ‘Samyukta Maharashtra’ movement.

At the Gateway of India, where the march concluded, Thackeray addressed the crowd, criticising the Prime Minister’s apology. “Did you sense the arrogance in his apology? It was filled with arrogance. One deputy chief minister was even smiling,” he remarked. Thackeray emphasised that the people of Maharashtra would never forgive the insult to the legendary warrior king and cited the statue collapse, as well as issues with the Ram Temple and the new Parliament complex, to mock Modi’s “guarantees.”

“For what was the PM apologising? For the statue he inaugurated eight months ago? For the corruption involved? The MVA must unite to defeat the forces that have disrespected Shivaji Maharaj. The collapse of the statue is an affront to the soul of Maharashtra,” Thackeray declared.

In his address in Palghar on Friday, PM Modi had described Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj as not just a name or a king, but a deity. “Today, I bow my head at his feet and apologise to my deity,” Modi had said.

At the protest march, Pawar stated, “The collapse of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s statue in Sindhudurg is a clear example of corruption. It is an insult to all Shiv premis (devotees of the warrior king).” Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole noted that the opposition had sought forgiveness from the emperor long before the PM did, apologising for allowing a “Shiv drohi” (traitor to Shivaji’s principles) government to come to power. “We have pledged never to let this happen again,” he said, referencing the upcoming state assembly elections.

Patole added that the Prime Minister’s apology was a calculated move with an eye on the state elections. Kolhapur Congress MP Shahu Chhatrapati, a descendant of Shivaji, stressed that the dignity of the emperor must be upheld at all costs.

The march, which began shortly after 11 a.m., saw participation from NCP (SP) Baramati MP Supriya Sule and MLA Anil Deshmukh. A bust of the legendary warrior king was placed at Hutatma Chowk, while participants in the march held placards condemning the statue’s collapse and chanted slogans against the Eknath Shinde government.

Pawar joined the march for a short distance before returning to his vehicle.

With inputs from PTI 

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