‘For us it is not a statue but an idol of God…’, Sanjay Raut announced a ‘beat the government with shoes’ movement in the Chhatrapati Shivaji statue case

Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) has announced a massive agitation against the Mahayuti government. Senior party leader and MP Sanjay Raut has announced that a “Shoot Maaro Aandolan” will be launched from Sunday.

Sanjay Raut has also targeted the government over the Shivaji Maharaj statue controversy. He said, “That statue is not just a statue for us, but a statue of God. These people have committed corruption even in the statue of our God. We will not tolerate this and will start a big movement against the government from Sunday.”

Announcement of agitation against Mahayuti government
Raut’s statement has come at a time when the opposition’s resentment and anger against the Mahayuti government in Maharashtra is increasing. There is also resentment among the public over the alleged corruption in the statue of Shivaji Maharaj, due to which Uddhav Sena has announced this movement against the government. Raut further said that this movement is against the corrupt policies of the government and it is expected to get widespread support across Maharashtra.

The first arrest in the case was made on Friday
Let us tell you that the first arrest has been made on Friday in the case of the collapse of the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra. A structural consultant has been arrested from Kolhapur. Kolhapur Crime Branch arrested structural consultant Chetan Patil around 3 am on Friday in the Sindhudurg case.

Patil was arrested under a joint operation with Malvan police. After this, Kolhapur police handed over the accused to Malvan police. Police had earlier named contractor and architect Jaydeep Apte and structural consultant Chetan Patil as accused in the FIR. In the FIR, Jaydeep Apte and structural consultant Chetan Patil have been accused of negligence and potentially causing harm to people around the statue.

When was the statue unveiled?
The statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Sindhudurg was unveiled on December 4, 2023, when the Navy Day celebrations were held for the first time in Sindhudurg. The statue was intended to honor the heritage of the Maratha Navy and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s contribution to maritime defense and security as well as its historical connection with the modern Indian Navy. The project was conceptualized and led by the Indian Navy in collaboration with the state government. The government provided funds for the project.