35-foot statue of Shivaji Maharaj collapses in Sindhudurg; oppn slams govt for poor quality of work
Mumbai (PTI): A statue of Maratha King Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a fort in Maharashtra's Sindhudurg district, collapsed on Monday, an official said.
Following the incident, the opposition parties have slammed the state government, alleging it had paid little attention to the quality of work.
A 35-foot statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj collapsed around 1 pm at Rajkot Fort in Malvan, the official said.
Experts will ascertain the exact cause of the collapse, but the district has witnessed heavy rains and gusty winds in the last two to three days, he said.
Senior officials of the police and district administration reached the site to take stock of the situation, and the damage is being examined, he said.
PM Modi unveiled the statue on December 4 last year on the occasion of Navy Day. He also participated in the celebrations at the fort.
NCP (SP) state president and former minister Jayant Patil said, "The state government is responsible for the collapse, as it did not take proper care. The government paid little attention to the quality of work. It only focused on conducting an event where Prime Minister Narendra Modi was invited to unveil the statue. This Maharashtra government only issues new tenders, accepts commissions and gives contracts accordingly."
Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Vaibhav Naik also criticised the state government for the alleged poor quality of the work.
"The state government may try to evade responsibility. People responsible for the construction and erection of the statue must be probed thoroughly," he said.
Maharashtra Minister Deepak Kesarkar said, "I don't have all the details about the incident. However, it's important to note that PWD Minister Ravindra Chavan, also the guardian minister of Sindhudurg district, has said a thorough investigation will be conducted in the matter."
"We are committed to erecting a new statue at the same location. This statue, unveiled by PM Modi, pays tribute to Shivaji Maharaj's visionary efforts in building a sea fort. We will take all necessary steps to address this matter promptly and effectively," he said.
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E P Jayarajan travels by IndiGo two years after self-imposed boycott of airline
Kozhikode (Kerala), Sep 13: Over two years after he decided to never travel by IndiGo, former LDF convener E P Jayarajan on Thursday night travelled to Delhi on the airline from Karipur airport here.
Jayarajan had in July 2022 decided not to travel by that airline after it imposed a three-week flying ban on him for his involvement in a scuffle onboard an IndiGo aircraft that was also carrying Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
Confirming that he travelled on the low-cost airline, the CPI(M) leader said that he opted for Indigo in order to quickly reach Delhi to pay his respects to late party general secretary Sitaram Yechury who died on Thursday.
Jayarajan said that Yechury was bigger than everything else and reaching Delhi quickly was more important than what he had stated about the airline two years ago.
On June 13, 2022, two Youth Congress workers shouted slogans against the chief minister inside the IndiGo aircraft from Kannur, after it landed at Thiruvananthapuram airport. Jayarajan, who was also onboard, allegedly pushed aside the two protesters.
Following that, the airline imposed a three-week flying ban on the CPI(M) leader and a two-week flying ban on the two Youth Congress workers who had raised slogans against the CM on board the aircraft.
In the wake of the airline's decision, he had lashed out at it by saying that neither he nor his family will ever travel by IndiGo -- nationally or internationally -- and there are other airlines in the country which are more reputable and offer a much better service.
He had also said that he would rather walk to his destination than board an IndiGo flight ever again in his life.
The Youth Congress workers had protested against the chief minister over allegations against him in a gold smuggling case.
The two protestors and another Youth Congress member were booked for attempted murder by the Kerala police in connection with the incident.
