Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has strongly condemned the recent Shivaji statue collapse incident, calling it a deeply saddening event. Shinde emphasized that Shivaji Maharaj represents more than just a political issue; he is a symbol of identity and faith for the people of Maharashtra. He criticized the opposition for allegedly politicizing the incident, stating that such actions are regrettable. Shinde also referred to the destruction of a Shivaji Maharaj statue in Karnataka, expressing anger and suggesting that those responsible should face severe consequences. He accused the MVA (Maha Vikas Aghadi) of staging protests to exploit the situation politically, asserting that the people of Maharashtra are discerning and will express their dissatisfaction at the polls, potentially dealing a strong electoral rebuke to the opposition.

After the Shivaji statue collapse earlier this week at the Rajkot Fort in Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg district, the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) staged a protest at Hutatma Chowk, followed by a march to the Gateway of India. The protesters gathered in large numbers to voice for Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaja`s statue collapse incident. Meanwhile, Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis slammed MVAs protest. He said that it is completely a “political” agitation and said that Congress and MVA never respected Chhatrapati Shivaji and the grand old party should apologise for disrespecting Chhatrapati Shivaji on various occasions. For the unversed, A 35-foot statue of Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj collapsed at Rajkot Fort in Malvan, Maharashtra, on August 26, 2024. The statue, which was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 4, 2023, during Navy Day celebrations, fell around 1 p.m.