‘We will build a new statue bigger than that’, said Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis on the collapse of Shivaji’s statue

Politics continues on the issue of the collapse of Chhatrapati Shivaji’s statue in Maharashtra. In such a situation, the state’s Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis said on Tuesday that the construction of the statue of Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Sindhudurg district, which collapsed a day earlier, was monitored not by the state government but by the Indian Navy. Speaking to the media, Fadnavis said that the government will install a bigger statue, as the previous statue was built by the Navy.

The deputy CM clarified that the construction of the statue was being supervised by the Navy and not the state government. The persons responsible for the construction and installation of the statue may have overlooked important local factors, such as high wind speed and the quality of iron used. Due to exposure to sea winds, the statue would have been more prone to rusting, Fadnavis said.

The government will get the statue made again

Let us tell you that the 35-foot-high statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, which was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Rajkot Fort in Sindhudurg on Navy Day in December last year, collapsed on Monday afternoon. The Deputy Chief Minister said that it is a question whether the makers of the statue understood all these factors before making it. He said that the incident of the collapse of the statue is under investigation. He said, it is our resolve to build a big statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at the same place.

When asked about the opposition parties targeting the Mahayuti government over this incident, Fadnavis said, “The fall of the statue is sad, but the opposition parties’ stand on it is unpleasant. There is no need to politicise this issue.”

What did the Navy say?

Meanwhile, the Indian Navy has started its investigation into the collapse of the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Sindhudurg. A team of experts is on the spot and investigating the incident of building collapse. The Navy confirmed that the statue was constructed and installed by the Navy in collaboration with the state government. The tender was also given by the Navy on the basis of the prescribed procedure. The money was borne by the state government.

The Navy said that the initial certificates were taken by them which were in accordance with the standards followed. But later the maintenance work was handed over to the state government. The Indian Navy confirmed that it will start repairing the statue after the inspection.

A case will be filed against the contractor

According to Maharashtra Public Works Department (PWD) minister Ravindra Chavan, PWD officials had found rust on the statue and had written to the Navy informing them. The local police also registered a case against contractor Jaydeep Apte and structural consultant Chetan Patil at a police station in Sindhudurg district.