PM Modi apologises for Shivaji statue collapse, but attacks Congress for insulting Savarkar

'Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is not just a name or a king. For us, he is our deity. Today, I bow my head at his feet and apologise to my deity,' Modi said, after laying the foundation stone of the Rs 76,000 crore Vadhvan Port project in Maharashtra’s Palghar district.

Mumbai: As the BJP-led Maha Yuti dispensation in Maharashtra scurried for cover on the issue of crashing down of statue of legendary Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought to close the issue by tendering an unqualified apology.

“In 2013, after the BJP named me as prime ministerial candidate, the first thing that I did was sit before Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's samadhi at Raigad as a devotee and started on the path of a new journey…Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is not just a name or a king. For us, he is our deity. Today, I bow my head at his feet and apologise to my deity,” said Modi.

The Prime Minister’s statement came at a time when Maha Yuti (NDA) leadership in Maharashtra involving Chief Minister Eknath Shinde (Shiv Sena) and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis (BJP) and Ajit Pawar (NCP) seemed to be on different pages.

While Shinde is working overtime to fix responsibilities, Fadnavis said that it is the Indian Navy which oversaw the project, Pawar led a silent protest and apologised.

However, he hit out at Congress on the issue of SwatantryaVeer Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.

“Our culture is different…We do not abuse and disrespect the great sons of Mother India, the brave hearts of this land...They abused Veer Savarkar... despite doing this, they are not willing to apologise, they are not willing to regret...The people of Maharashtra have understood their true intentions,” he said without naming Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi.

The Prime Minister was speaking at a function in Dahanu in Palghar, where he performed the ground-breaking ceremony of the Vadhavan Fort.

Modi’s statement about the collapse of statue at Rajkot Fort in Malvan in Sindhudurg district came when in Mumbai Congress staged a protest on the issue coinciding with Modi’s visit for inauguration of Global Fintech Fest (GFF) being held at the Jio World Convention Centre at the Bandra-Kurla Complex in Mumbai.

Several Congress leaders including Mumbai Congress President and MP Prof Varsha Gaikwad, Maharashtra unit working President Naseem Khan, Aslam Shaikh among others were detained.

“Maharashtra has both essential capabilities as well as adequate resources to embrace development and prosperity. Owing to its coasts, Maharashtra has centuries-old connection to international trade. In Maharashtra, there are ample opportunities for building a better tomorrow,” Modi said.

The BJP-led Maha Yuti (NDA) dispensation has come under the attack of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (INDIA) in view of the collapse of the statue.