Shivaji Maharaj statue collapse: Ajit Pawar visits Malvan fort, vows to rebuild grand statue at same spot

Pic/X@AjitPawarSpeaks

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Friday visited the Rajkot fort in Malvan where a 35-foot statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj collapsed earlier this week and vowed to erect a grand structure of the warrior king at the same place.

Speaking about the Shivaji Maharaj statue collapse, Ajit Pawar said, "Everyone is saddened by what has happened. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is our deity, and we are all proud of his legacy. The Chief Minister has held meetings regarding this incident. Efforts are being made to rebuild the memorial. Action will be taken against those responsible. No matter where they flee, they will be found. There is no point in debating whether it was the Navy or the PWD," reported ANI.

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He added that the government is committed to ensuring that a grand and divine memorial for the Maharaja is rebuilt, reported ANI.

In a post on X, Ajit Pawar called Shivaji Maharaj the pride and self-respect of Maharashtra.

"Very soon, a grand statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj will be installed at the same place. This is my word," Pawar said.

On Wednesday, Pawar apologised to the people of the state for the Shivaji Maharaj statue collapse, which was installed in the coastal Sindhudurg district's Malvan tehsil, around 480km from Mumbai. On Thursday, his party NCP also staged a protest against the collapse of the statue.

Amid relentless attacks by the opposition over the episode, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday asserted he would not hesitate to touch the feet of the warrior king 100 times and apologise for the incident if required.

The government has set up a technical committee to find out the reasons for the Shivaji Maharaj statue collapse. It has pointed out that the Indian Navy handled the project.

Panels set up to probe collapse

Maharashtra Government has set up a technical committee comprising engineers, IIT experts and Navy officials to probe reasons behind the collapse of Shivaji Maharaj statue at Malvan in coastal Konkan, an official said.

A release issued by the Chief Minister's office after midnight said the government has also constituted a committee to build a "grand statute befitting the stature" of the warrior king.

The decision was taken by CM Eknath Shinde, who chaired a meeting with senior ministers, bureaucrats and Navy officials at his official residence Varsha in South Mumbai Wednesday night, the release said.

An FIR has been registered against the contractor of the 35-foot statue which collapsed on Monday just eight months after it was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 4.

The FIR follows a complaint by the Public Works Department, which claims the statue's construction was of poor quality, and the nuts and bolts used in the structure were found to be rusted.

(With inputs from PTI and ANI)