Sindhudurg (Maharashtra), Aug 26 (IANS): The collapse of a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj on Monday at Rajkot Fort in Sindhudurg -- which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December 2023 -- has kicked up a political row in Maharashtra even as a rattled MahaYuti government attempts to go into a damage control mode.

Under fire from the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi comprising the Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (SP), and Shiv Sena (UBT), as well as Chhatrapati Yuvraj Sambhajiraje of Kolhapur -- the 13th direct descendent of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj -- Chief Minister Eknath Shinde dispatched his senior Cabinet colleague and PWD Minister Ravindra Chavan to Sindhudurg for a spot assessment.

The state government has come under severe fire from various MVA leaders who levelled allegations of corruption against the MahaYuti regime, accusing it of insulting Maharashtra’s pride by dealing a blow to the country’s image globally.

In a strongly-worded post on X, Chhatrapati Yuvraj Sambhajiraje claimed that the statue was erected in ‘haste’ for its inauguration by the Prime Minister due to which it has collapsed.

“We had written then to the PM demanding to change this statue which was basically shapeless and not according to sculpture, and was erected in haste. In Maharashtra, there is nothing more unfortunate than Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's memorial collapsing within a year. In such a situation, with what authority will we talk about Maharaja's forts,” Sambhajiraje said in the post.

The NCP (SP) top brass including its Working President Supriya Sule, General Secretary Jitendra Awhad, state President Jayant Patil, national spokesperson Clyde Crasto, and others minced no words in slamming the MahaYuti regime over the statue crash.

Sniffing graft, Patil demanded a thorough probe into the construction of the memorial, while Awhad rued it as a gross blow to the country’s image give how the statue of a national icon has crashed.\

Sule posted a letter dated September 8, 2023, saying the project contractor was from Thane (CM Shinde’s home district), as she demanded he (the contractor) be “blacklisted”.

Congress’ Atul Londhe attacked the ruling Shiv Sena-BJP-NCP alliance for “consistently misusing Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s name for elections”, and now even for indulging in corruption in the name of his statue, warning “the MahaYuti will face the consequences”.

State Congress General Secretary Sachin Sawant said "the BJP symbolises corruption and injustice, nothing is safe in this state, and it is a disrespect to the Chhatrapati".

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray sought a detailed probe into the incident as he called for nailing all those responsible for the crash, while some purported supporters of the party led by Kudal MLA Vaibhav Naik swooped on and vandalised PWD offices here demanding FIR against its officials.

Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Kishore Tiwari claimed that this was not the first structure unveiled by the PM that has crashed, as he demanded a precautionary audit of all roads, expressways, bridges, Metro lines, sea-links, tunnels, monuments, etc. which the Prime Minister has inaugurated in Maharashtra in the past 10 years.

Party leader Vinayak Raut demanded a probe against PWD Minister Ravindra Chavan for the "huge corruption" that led to the statue collapse, while Shivba Sanghatana leader Manoj Jarange-Patil demanded to “throw into jail whoever is responsible for this disaster, whether contractors or officers… don’t spare anybody”.

Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar, meanwhile, told mediapersons that the government will conduct a proper inquiry and take all necessary measures in the matter.

Sambhajiraje has called for scientifically rebuilding the statue at the same spot, but sounded a warning that “in the zeal to build it before the (Assembly) elections, we should not make any trouble again”.

At around 12.30 p.m. on Monday, the grand 45-feet tall statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, built with bronze and other materials, tottered and suddenly fell, breaking into multiple pieces in the Rajkot Fort, with only the metal feet still standing.

As the news spread, officials rushed to cover the crash site with a giant green cloth and barred any unofficial entry into its vicinity.

The Rajkot Fort is located on a rocky stretch around 3 km from its more famous cousin, the Sindhudurg Fort, which is situated in the south-west direction in the Arabian Sea.

(Quaid Najmi can be contacted at: q.najmi@ians.in)