Mumbai: Workers of the ruling Maha Yuti and opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi engaged in sloganeering and clashed at Malvan in the coastal Konkan region of Maharashtra over the issue of collapsing of statue of legendary Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
Massive police deployment has been made in and around the Rajkot Fort, where the statue had collapsed in Malvan and the entire Sindhudurg district in the wake of the incident.
The clash happened when the MVA partners comprising Congress, Uddhav Thackeray-headed Shiv Sena (UBT) and Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) were protesting at the memorial site.
Among those present at the site were Leader of the Opposition in Legislative Assembly Vijay Wadettiwar, Leader of the Opposition in Legislative Council Ambadas Danve, NCP (SP) state unit President Jayant Patil and Shiv Sena (UBT) Worli MLA and Thackeray’s son Aaditya Thackeray.
Around the same time, Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg MP Narayan Rane of BJP and his elder son and former MP Dr Nilesh Rane reached the site for inspection.
The Ranes and Thackerays are bete noires, and their political rivalry is well-known.
The Ranes were seen arguing with the police as Aaditya was inside the fort.
Soon there was sloganeering which turned into a clash.
A huge team of police personnel were rushed to control the situation.
Patil, a former Home and Finance Minister, personally spoke to Rane, a former Chief Minister, to defuse the situation which could have had major law and order repercussions.
“Those responsible for the crashing of the statue would be 'buried' during the ensuing elections,” Wadettiwar said.
The 35-foot tall statue of Shivaji Maharaj with a sword in his hand was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Rajkot fort in Malvan tehsil of Sindhudurg coinciding with Navy Day celebrations on December 4, 2023. However, it collapsed within months.
MVA has hit out at Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar.
Aaditya said that it was unfortunate that the ruckus took place. ”I have told my party workers not to indulge in politics at the fort of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj," he said.
Asked about Rane’s outburst and certain statements, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is the state Home Minister, said that the issue should not be politicised. “Rane has a certain style of speaking,” he said, suggesting that he would not have meant that.
Ajit Pawar apologises
Rattled by the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj crashing down at Rajkot Fort in Malvan, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar tendered an apology on behalf of the Maha Yuti government.
"Shivaji Maharaj is our deity, I apologise to 13 crore people of Maharashtra for the collapse of his statue," said Ajit Pawar, the NCP President. Ajit Pawar warned that those responsible for the collapse of the statue would not be spared and should be blacklisted.
Manoj Jarange-Patil to visit Rajkot Fort on September 1
Maratha reservation campaigner Manoj Jarange-Patil would on September 1 visit the Rajkot Fort in Malvan, where the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj had collapsed. “I appeal that there should not be any politics on this issue,” said Jarange-Patil.
MVA to hold march
The Maha Vikas Aghadi has planned a protest march on September 1 in Mumbai from the Hutatma Chowk to Gateway of India against the crashing down of the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The decision was taken at a meeting of Shiv Sena (UBT) head Uddhav Thackeray and NCP (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar, two former chief ministers and state Congress president Nana Patole.
Shiv Sena (UBT) slams minister
Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut slammed state’s Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar for saying that "what has happened is good" and a bigger statue would come up and demanded that he should be immediately sacked.
Kesarkar said that until the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is installed in the Arabian Sea off Mumbai coast, the largest statue of the Maratha founder should be built in Malvan. "The statue should be around 100 feet tall...Possibly, something good might come out...that is why this accident occurred," he had said.