'I bow my head and apologise': PM Modi on Shivaji statue collapse in Maharashtra (Watch)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday apologised for the collapse of the Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue in Maharashtra's Sindhudurg on August 26.
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FollowPrime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday apologised for the collapse of the Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue in Maharashtra's Sindhudurg on August 26.
Addressing a rally in Maharashtra's Palghar on Friday, PM Modi said, "The moment I landed here, I first apologised to our deity Shivaji Maharaj over the statue collapse. I also apologise to the people who were hurt by the collapse."
"Those who consider Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj as their deity and have been deeply hurt, I bow my head and apologise to them. Our values are different. For us, nothing is bigger than our deity," PM Modi added.
"...Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is not just a name for us... today I bow my head and apologise to my god Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Our values are different, we are not those people who keep abusing and insulting the great son of Mother India, the son of this land, Veer Savarkar. They are not ready to apologize, they are ready to go to the courts and fight. ..," PM Modi said.
Earlier at the event in Palghar, PM Modi laid the foundation stone of the Vadhvan Port. The total cost of this project is around Rs 76,000 crores.
A 35-foot statue of Maratha Empire founder Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year at a fort in Maharashtra's Sindhudurg district, collapsed on August 26.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde described the incident as "unfortunate" and promised to reinstall it, saying that "due to strong winds of around 45 kmph", the statue "erected by the Navy...fell and got damaged".
The statue had been erected at Rajkot Fort at Malvan in Sindhudurg district, which witnessed heavy rainfall and gusty winds last week.
Controversy around Shivaji statue collapse
The fall of the iconic Shivaji statue triggered a massive political firestorm in the state as opposition slammed the state government, alleging it had paid little attention to the quality of work.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray criticised the ruling BJP government, expressing disbelief that even the revered figure's monument could fall victim to alleged corruption within the BJP's ranks.
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