Port Blair, October 28: Shiv Sena leaders on Sunday alleged that the Vinayak Damodar Savarkar Statue in Andaman and Nicobar's Port Blair, has suffered cracks. These leaders have demanded the Prime Minister Narendra Modi for clearing papers for a new statue. According to a report by TOI, the authorities in Port Blair informed that the cracks in the statue, which the Shiv Sena referred to as 'damage', was actually natural fissures in the granite stones.

This comes after the Sena leaders from Mumbai had recently sent a letter to PM Modi alleging damage to Savarkar's statue but, the Municipal Council of Port Blair have examined the statue and found no damage. They said that cracks in the granite stone are fissures which are naturally created during the stone formation and Shiv Sena might have confused this as a damage. Shiv Sena Protests 'Insult' of Shivaji by BJP Member in Ahmednagar.

The Sena also alleged that there was an inscription in the statue but was ordered to remove by Mani Shankar Aiyar in August 2004 when he was UPA minister. Authorities while dismissing the claim said there was never any inscription beneath the statue.

Both, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena have been claiming the Vinayak Savarkar's legacy. Shiv Sena wants a Bharat Ratna for Savarkar, while PM criticising congress said India's GOP remember only one family and never remembered patriots like Savarkar, Chandrashekhar Azad or Bhagat Singh.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 28, 2018 11:17 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).