The Eknath Shinde-led Mahayuti government faced a major embarrassment on Monday when a 35-feet-tall statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, who is regarded as the 'aadhaar daivat' (presiding deity) of Maharashtra, collapsed at the historic Rajkot Fort of Malvan in coastal Sindhudurg district. Added to the embarrassment was the fact that the statue had only recently been inaugurated on December 4, 2023, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as part of the high-profile Navy Day celebrations, in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his deputies Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar.
Shinde appeared to blame the Indian Navy when he said. "The statue was designed and erected by the Navy."
The incident is certain to become a major political issue in the upcoming assembly elections, with the ruling coalition on the defensive.
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