Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday apologized for the collapse of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue in Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg on August 26.
Speaking at an event in Maharashtra’s Palghar on Friday, PM Modi said “Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is not just a name for us. Today I bow my head and apologise to my god Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj”.
“Those who consider Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj as their deity and have been deeply hurt, I bow my head and apologise to them.
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 blamed the statue collapse due to strong winds.
The statue had been erected at Rajkot Fort in Sindhudurg, which witnessed heavy rainfall and gusty winds last week.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister also slammed the Congress and other opposition parties for often attacking freedom fighter Veer Savarkar and his ideology.
“We are not those people who keep abusing and insulting the great son of Mother India, the son of this land, Veer Savarkar. They (Opposition) are not ready to apologise, they are ready to go to the courts and fight”.
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.