NEW DELHI: Mumbai police have tightened security after the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) called for a protest march in response to the collapse of a 35-foot-tall statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Sindhudurg district. The protest march will take place today from Hutatma Chowk to the Gateway of India.
The statue, unveiled last December as part of Navy Day celebrations in Sindhudurg, fell on August 26, leading to widespread criticism of the BJP-led Mahayuti government.
Uddhav Thackeray, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief, criticized the government, questioning the explanation given for the collapse. “Two days ago, people saw how the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj fell and the kinds of statements being made. Raj Bhavan is on the seashore, yet even the Governor’s hat never flew off. They say the statue fell due to strong winds–how is this possible?” said Thackeray.
Youth Congress leaders were detained by Mumbai police on Friday while protesting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the city, demanding an apology over the statue’s collapse. In response, Prime Minister Modi addressed the issue, expressing remorse for the incident.
“Those who consider Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj as their deity and have been deeply hurt, I bow my head and apologize to them. Our values are different. For us, nothing is bigger than our deity,” said PM Modi.
Following the incident, Chetan Patil, the structural consultant for the Shivaji Maharaj statue, was arrested from Kolhapur. The FIR filed included sections 109, 110, 125, 318, and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), according to Sindhudurg Police.
Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde announced that the state government is taking swift action for the reconstruction of the statue. Two committees have been formed, including one to investigate why the statue collapsed.
“A joint technical committee headed by the Indian Navy with representatives from the Maharashtra Government and technical experts is being formed to investigate the unfortunate damage to the Statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj installed at Rajkot Fort in Sindhudurg, subsequent to the exceptional weather conditions in the region,” said an official release from the Indian Navy.
The Shivaji Maharaj statue was originally unveiled on December 4, 2022, during Navy Day celebrations in Sindhudurg, marking the first time the district hosted the event. Following the collapse, the incident has sparked public anger and demands for accountability, prompting multiple responses from political leaders and the immediate tightening of security across Mumbai in anticipation of protests.
With police and other security forces deployed throughout the city, authorities are preparing for the MVA’s demonstration to ensure public order and safety during the march from Hutatma Chowk to the Gateway of India.