Shivaji statue maker has links with RSS, alleges Congress leader Patole
Mumbai (PTI): Amid the political storm in Maharashtra over the collapse of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's statue at Rajkot fort in Malvan, Congress leader Nana Patole on Thursday claimed that the sculptor who made it was close to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
The allegation drew a mocking reply from state cultural affairs minister Sudhir Mungantiwar who said he had "heard" that the artist was, in fact, close to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
Speaking to reporters at the Nagpur airport, state Congress chief Patole said, "The artist Jaydeep Apte had no experience of making a statue of such a scale. Apte is associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh."
Responding to the claim, Mungantiwar, a BJP leader, said, "Someone told me that the artist is close to Rahul Gandhi. Need to verify this information.....There seems to be a new habit of making wild allegations."
The 35-foot statue of the 17th-century founder of the Maratha empire collapsed on August 26, nearly nine months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled it.
Sindhudurg police has registered an FIR against Apte and structural engineer Chetan Patil in connection with the incident.
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Misuse of power, money to control election mechanism seen during Maharashtra polls: Sharad Pawar
Pune (PTI): NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday claimed the misuse of power and money to control the entire election mechanism, which was never before seen in any state assembly or national polls, was witnessed in Maharashtra.
Pawar made the statement when he visited senior activist Dr Baba Adhav, who is protesting against the alleged "misuse of EVMs" in the recent state polls in Maharashtra.
Adhav, who is in his 90s, began his three-day protest at Phule Wada, the residence of social reformer Jyotiba Phule, in the city on Thursday.
The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies, the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP), have been alleging manipulation of EVMs in the recently held Maharashtra Assembly elections, which saw a landslide victory by the Mahayuti.
The Mahayuti, comprising the Shiv Sena, BJP and NCP, won 230 out of 288 assembly seats in the November 20 polls, while the MVA managed just 46 seats.Talking to reporters, Pawar said elections were conducted recently in the country, and there is a restlessness among the people about these.
Baba Adhav's agitation represents this restlessness, he said.
He said, "There is a murmur among the people that the recent polls in Maharashtra saw 'misuse of power' and 'floods of money', which was never seen in the past. Such things are heard of in local-level polls, but taking over the entire election mechanism with the help of money and misuse of power was not seen before. However, we witnessed it in Maharashtra, and people are restless now."
He added that people were recalling late socialist ideologue Jaiprakash Narayan and felt somebody should take a step forward.
"I heard Baba Adhav has taken a lead into this issue and is agitating at Phule Wada. His protest gives hope to the people, but it is not enough. A mass revolt is necessary, as the danger of the parliamentary democracy getting destroyed looms," Pawar said.
The former Union minister said those who have reins of the country in their hands are least bothered about this.
"Despite widespread discussion over it (alleged misuse of EVMs) in the country, whenever the opposition tries to raise the issue in the Parliament, they are not allowed to speak. Opposition leaders have been seeking an opportunity to speak on these issues for six days, but their demands have not been accepted even once. It shows they want to attack parliamentary democracy," he claimed.
He said Dr Adhav's protest is a fine example of someone revolting against the issue and expressed confidence that his protest will create a ripple effect.
