Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (Image for representation)
Credit: PTI Photo
Mumbai: Mounting a major offensive against Uddhav Thackeray, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena alleged that the Shiv Sena (UBT) head has compromised Maharashtra’s pride for monetary gain by agreeing to remove the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj from Mumbai airport.
The airport, which bears the name of the revered Maratha warrior, was originally named after Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj due to the efforts of former Prime Minister and BJP stalwart Atal Bihari Vajpayee and late Shiv Sena founder and Balasaheb Thackeray.
Shiv Sena secretary and spokesperson Kiran Pawaskar claimed that despite strong opposition from Balasaheb, Uddhav Thackeray struck a deal with the GVK Group to remove the iconic equestrian statue near the airport.
"Uddhav Thackeray sold out the pride of Maharashtra by accepting a commission for the removal of Maharaj's statue," Pawaskar alleged in a news conference in Mumbai.
He alleged that the GVK Group had proposed relocating the Sahar police station and the statue to facilitate airport expansion—a move that Balasaheb firmly opposed.
Pawaskar accused Uddhav Thackeray of prioritising personal gain over the state's pride by negotiating with the company.
Speaking on the collapse of statue of Shivaji Maharaj at Rajkot Fort in Malvan in Sindhudurg district, Pawaskar said: “While Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had apologised for the incident, Uddhav Thackeray's faction engaged in reprehensible politics.”
Pawaskar questioned why Uddhav Thackeray did not demand an apology from Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi for his derogatory remarks about freedom fighter Veer Savarkar and why he did not withdraw from the Bharat Jodo Yatra in protest of the insult to the national icon.