Shivaji statue collapse: MVA to hold protest march on September 1, demands CM Shinde's resignation

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday slammed the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government over the collapse of a 35-foot Shivaji Maharaj statue at Rajkot fort earlier this week. Thackeray said that the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) will take out a protest march against the statue collapse on September 1 in Mumbai.

The former Maharashtra chief minister hit out at Maharashtra minister Deepak Kesarkar for saying that something good might come out of Shivaji Maharaj's statue collapse. He also said, “Claiming that statue of Shivaji Maharaj at Malvan fort collapsed due to wind is height of shamelessness.”

A 35-foot statue of the 17th century Maratha empire founder, unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Rajkot Fort in Sindhudurg on December 4 last year, collapsed on Monday afternoon.

Opposition parties attacked the Maharashtra government for “poor quality of work” and maintenance of the statue after preliminary reports showed that it collapsed due to heavy rains and gusty winds over the last few days in the Sindhudurg district.

"Those creating obstructions in the MVA's morcha today in Malvan against the collapse of Shivaji Maharaj's statue are betrayers of the warrior king," Uddhav Thackeray said while addressing a press conference in Mumbai alongside NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar and Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole.

He was referring to a clash between the workers of the Shiv Sena (UBT) and BJP MP Narayan Rane after an MVA delegation went to Rajkot Fort. Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray and MP Rane reached the site of the collapse at the same time on Wednesday.

Read more: 35-foot Shivaji statue collapses in Maharashtra; Opposition attacks Shinde govt

Rane and his son were seen arguing with the police as Thackeray was inside the premises, eventually leading to a clash breaking out between the supporters of the ruling government and the opposition.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut alleged a scam in the construction of the structure and demanded chief minister Eknath Shinde's resignation over the collapse.

“We need the resignation of the chief minister for hurting the feelings of (the people of) Maharashtra. Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Ravindra Chavan should be sacked. They did not even spare Shivaji Maharaj and indulged in corruption,” he said.

(With inputs from agencies)