Statue collapse: Simply apologising won't do, Maharashtra's pride hurt, says Patole
Pune (PTI): Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole has said that simply apologising for the collapse of the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj will not suffice as the episode has "hurt the pride of Maharashtra".
He made the remarks on Friday after Prime Minister Narendra Modi apologised to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and those hurt by the collapse of the warrior king's statue in Maharashtra's Sindhudurg district.
The statue of the 17th century Maratha warrior king at Rajkot fort in Sindhudurg district's Malvan tehsil, which fell on August 26, was unveiled by the PM on December 4, 2023, on the occasion of Navy Day.
During his address in Palghar on Friday, PM Modi said, "Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is not just a name or a king. For us, he is our deity. Today, I bow my head at his feet and apologise to my deity."
Talking to reporters in Bhandara, Patole said, "What made him (PM) apologise ? It means he has acknowledged that he had made a mistake. When the statue was ready, as a prime minister, he or his team should have checked whether the statue was alright, whether the foundation was strong and whether the certificate from the cultural director was sought or not."
"The issue cannot be addressed with just a simple apology. Be it the PM, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde or Deputy CMs Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, they have hurt the pride of Maharashtra. They should step down from power or people of the state will oust them," he said.
The people of Maharashtra who worship Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj will not forget the insult to their deity, the Congress leader said, and alleged that the statue was hastily installed by the state government for unveiling by the PM.
The work was entrusted to an inexperienced individual and instructions given by the cultural department regarding the statue were ignored, resulting in substandard work and its collapse, he alleged.
Responding to Shinde and Fadnavis's appeal that the opposition should not politicise the statue issue, Patole alleged the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has consistently insulted Shivaji Maharaj and used his name just to get votes.
"Despite the disgrace that Maharashtra faced due to corruption in the construction of the Shivaji Maharaj's statue, the extremely corrupt BJP alliance government felt no remorse," Patole said.
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India describes attack on Fujairah 'unacceptable'
New Delhi (PTI): India on Tuesday described the wounding of three Indians in an attack on the United Arab Emirates' port city of Fujairah as "unacceptable" and pressed for an immediate cessation of hostilities targeting innocent civilians.
New Delhi's reaction came a day after the Indians were injured after a drone attack caused a fire at a major oil industry zone in Fujairah. The UAE had accused Iran of carrying out the strike.
"The attack on Fujairah that resulted in injury to three Indian nationals is unacceptable," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
"We call for immediate cessation of these hostilities and the targeting of civilian infrastructure and innocent civilians," the spokesperson said.
Jaiswal said India continued to stand for dialogue and diplomacy to deal with the situation so that peace and stability could be restored across West Asia.
"We also call for free and unimpeded navigation and commerce through the Strait of Hormuz in keeping with international law. India stands ready to support all efforts for a peaceful resolution of issues," he said.
The attack on Fujairah city came as the ceasefire between the US and Iran came under strain in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of the world's oil and gas pass, remains a major sticking point in the talks. Shipping through the narrow Gulf waterway has been severely disrupted by the conflict, triggering a sharp increase in oil prices and energy shortages in several countries.
The UAE's defence ministry on Monday said its air defence systems engaged 12 ballistic missiles, three cruise missiles and four drones launched from Iran.
The ministry affirmed that it "remains fully prepared and ready to deal with any threats and will firmly confront anything that aims to undermine the security of the country."
