A major controversy has erupted with the sudden collapse of the 35-foot tall statue of the 17th-century Maratha warrior, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, on August 26 at the Rajkot fort in Sindhudurg, Maharashtra. The statue was unveiled last year on December 4 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the occasion of Navy Day, raising questions about its responsibility and maintenance.
'Aaj Tak' has conducted an in-depth investigation into this incident and found that there is a blame game going on between the responsible agencies. A panel is investigating the incident, and both the Indian Navy and the Public Works Department (PWD) are pointing fingers at each other.
Ajit Patil, Assistant Engineer of the PWD, lodged a complaint at Malwan Police Station regarding the incident, based on which a case has been registered under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Blame Game Over Statue Collapse
The Maharashtra government and the Indian Navy are blaming each other for the statue's collapse. No immediate action was taken after discovering the statue's condition, and no concrete maintenance steps were undertaken.
After the statue's unveiling, over five lakh tourists visited Rajkot fort, but there remained ambiguity over maintenance responsibility. According to the FIR, PWD regularly inspects the premises of Rajkot fort. During an inspection on August 20, PWD found that the nuts and bolts holding the statue had rusted.
PWD wrote to the Navy on August 22 but was ignored, and the statue fell four days later. If action had been taken in time, this incident could have been avoided.
A few days later, the Indian Navy was informed about the statue's condition by PWD, but no one was held accountable for the repair and maintenance work post-unveiling.
Sources in the Indian Navy state that the statue was designed by experts, and its construction and installation were overseen by the Navy. On August 20, the state government issued a letter about the statue-related problems, which was supposed to be addressed by the state government agencies. The Navy claimed that post-unveiling, the maintenance responsibility lay with the local administration.
What Does the FIR State?
According to the FIR, Jaydeep Apte carried out repair work on the statue in June, but it was unclear whether the Indian Navy or PWD had authorized him for the repairs. Interestingly, there was no official order defining who would take care of the statue post-unveiling.
The statue was joined by nuts and bolts, which were corroded due to rain and sea salt. This rust not only weakened the statue's structural integrity but also distorted its shape. The FIR emphasized the severity of the situation and underscored the need for immediate repair and permanent solutions to prevent further deterioration.
Opposition Attacks Government
The opposition accused the state government of nepotism, alleging that Jaydeep Apte, now absconding, has connections with the Mahayuti allies (BJP, Shiv Sena - Eknath Shinde faction, and NCP - Ajit Pawar faction).
The statue's collapse occurred just before the assembly elections, and the opposition plans to target the Mahayuti alliance over this issue. Some Mahayuti leaders believe this incident is a result of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s curse, which could impact the Mahayuti alliance in the elections. All eyes are now on the panel investigating this matter to determine the reasons behind the statue's collapse. The big question remains: Who is the real culprit?
