"Today I bow my head and apologise..." : PM Modi’s apology over Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Statue statue collapse in Maharashtra

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday apologized for the collapse of legendary ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s statue at Rajkot Fort in Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg. He was attending a public meeting in Maharastra’s Palgar. The 35 foot-tall statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj collapsed on August 26, inviting criticism from the opposition including Congress and Shiv Sena from the poll bound state. 

"The moment I landed here, I first apologised to Shivaji over the statue collapse. I also apologise to the people who were hurt by the collapse. In 2013, BJP named me as PM candidate. The first thing I did was sit before Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's Samadhi at Raigad as a devotee and started on a new journey”, said PM Modi during foundation stone laying ceremony of Vadhvan Port.

“Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is not just a name for us... today I bow my head and apologise to my god Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Our values are different, we are not those people who keep abusing and insulting the great son of Mother India, the son of this land, Veer Savarkar. They are not ready to apologize, they are ready to go to the courts and fight”, he added. 

The Congress, demanding his apology had lashed out at the Prime Minister over the statue collapse. The Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance has accused the ruling government of corruption in the matter of the statue construction and demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. 

"Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj who is worshipped in the whole of Maharashtra and India, to whom we call "public's king", his statue was made in Malvan's Rajkot Fort, which was inaugurated by PM Modi. First, of all, I want to ask PM Modi Ji about the bhumi-pujan he did for Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's statue in the Arabian Sea. Before that statue could be completed, his statue at Rajkot Fort in Malvan collapsed in just 8 months. It is clear that there is corruption in it. Modi Ji, when will you apologise?, said Mumbai Congress Chief Varsha Gaikwad to a news agency.

A joint technical committee headed by the Indian Navy with representatives from the Maharashtra Government alongside technical experts is being formed to investigate the collapse of the statue. It was unveiled by Narendra Modi on December 4 last year during the Navy day celebrations which was held for the first time in Sindhudurg and was aimed at honouring the legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the Maratha Navy towards maritime defence and security and the historical linkage with modern Indian Navy.