Maharashtra: MVA to protest on Sunday over statue collapse

NCP-SP workers stage a protest against the Maharashtra government and contractor Jaydeep Apte following the collapse of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s statue in Sindhudurg, in Navi Mumbai, on Wednesday. Pic/PTI

The Opposition has announced a state-wide protest over the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue incident. To begin with, the top leaders of Maha Vikas Aghadi will participate in a symbolic ‘jode maro' (hit the government with shoes) agitation in Mumbai on Sunday, September 1. The protest will spread out to the rest of the state from September 2.

NCP President Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT) President Uddhav Thackeray and state Congress President Nana Patole announced the agitation at a joint press conference here at Thackeray's residence, Matoshree, on Wednesday. Thackeray said the MVA's rank and file would pay their respects at Hutatma Smarak and then walk to Shivaji Maharaj's statue at the Gateway of India. They will sit there and pay respect and condemn the government.

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"Some people like [minister] Deepak Kesarkar say whatever has happened has happened for good, and has promised a new 100-foot statue. For what? For tenders? To make more money? No statue came down in the past. This one fell because they were in a great hurry to take credit for it ahead of the polls," said Thackeray.

Pawar alleged corruption in the making and installing of the Rajkot statue. "It happened because of corruption. Now some say high marine winds caused the collapse. It shows deep corruption in a place where the PM was present. People resent this. We will highlight the public sentiment through the agitation," he said.

According to Patole, the sculptor Jaydeep Apte hadn't taken mandatory permission/approval from the state government's Directorate of Art for the statue design. "The PM, CM and DCMs shouldn't have attended the event because the statue was not certified," he said.

"The deteriorating situation in the state is due to the wrong policies of the state government and the mismanagement of the police administration," said Nana Patole. He also presented a video made by the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee on the incident.

100feet
Height of new statue promised by Deepak Kesarkar

Uddhav politicising statue collapse like a vulture: Shelar

City BJP President Ashish Shelar, who had tendered an apology for the statue incident, said on Wednesday that Shiv Sena (UBT) Chief Uddhav Thackeray's moves were akin to those of ‘political' vultures, which wait for something untoward to happen to feed on it. He doesn't do anything. But when something untoward or an accident happens, the UBT bakes its political bread," he said. Shelar told Thackeray to mind his language, referring to the words the Sena (UBT) chief had used against the BJP leadership. "I also know the language of Kamathipura," he added.

"The statue collapse was unfortunate and painful. It angered us all. The government has presented its side, yet I, as a Shivaji lover, have tendered an apology on behalf of the government. I apologise again, today. Accountability will be fixed and the guilty punished. The government will not protect anyone," he said.