Mumbai, August 29:  "Who builds a hollow statue on the sea-shore? And it just came down in 8 months...," an incredulous Sharmila Thackeray wondered on Thursday while reacting to the recent crash of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's bronze sculpture erected at the Rajkot Fort in Malvan town of Sindhdurg. The wife of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) President Raj Thackeray even admonished the powers-that-be that there is corruption in everything, "but at least spare the legendary Maratha warrior-king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj".

Speaking to the media here, Sharmila Thackeray even said that the collapsed statue’s broken parts clearly showed "that it was completely hollow from inside" -- implying that the 28-feet tall figurine was unable to withstand the purported 45 kmph winds blowing in the region on August 26. "Who builds such an empty statue near the sea-side..." was her disbelieving refrain to the incident that has triggered a major political furore and served to embarrass the MahaYuti regime ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Statue Collapse in Maharashtra: Sculptor Jaydeep Apte, His Aide Chetan Patil Go 'Missing'; Shiv Sena (UBT) Alleges BJP Link.

On the other hand, Sharmila Thackeray pointed out that the Sindhudurg Fort, built by the Chhatrapati – stands barely 3 km away from Rajkot Fort in the Arabian Sea – is still solid and imposing even after over 350 years. "Not only that, several other forts constructed by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj are still intact. Many were built on the coastal areas, and barring the normal wear-and-tear, but their fortifications remain strong till date. But a statue built for him there tumbled down in barely 8 months," Sharmila Thackeray said.

She referred to the Gateway of India (Mumbai, built in 1911) and other old buildings, saying they must have been lashed by stronger gales and storms, but nothing has happened to them yet. "I feel sad… there is corruption everywhere. On the Mumbai-Nashik Road, the Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Corridor or the Mumbai-Goa Highway… roads are built today and next there are potholes… People are even tired of carrying out agitations, at least keep Chhatrapati out of all this," she remarked.

On the Mumbai-Goa Highway's perpetual problems of potholes, she asked with concern, "of what blood are the people of (coastal) Konkan made… Even after enduring all this, they keep reposing their faith in these very leaders". Sharmila Thackeray's no-holds-barred comments came as the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) continues to roast the MahaYuti government over the statue collapse -- after it was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 4, 2023, during the Navy Day celebrations held in Sindhudurg. Ready To Apologise 100 Times for Collapse of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Statue at Rajkot Fort in Malvan, Says CM Eknath Shinde.

As political pressures continued to mount, public sentiments ran strong and the government's image took a battering after the statue crash, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde tendered an apology for the tragedy on Thursday -- a day after Deputy CM Ajit Pawar and Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar also said 'sorry' for it. The Indian Navy and Maharashtra government have formed a joint committee of officials and experts to examine the entire issue and take measures to repair or erect another statue at the same spot on priority.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 29, 2024 10:15 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).