New Delhi: Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his apology over the collapse of the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Maharashtra’s Malvan. He said he should apologise to every person in Maharashtra for the incident.
The statue of the 17th century warrior Maratha icon collapsed on August 26. It was inaugurated by PM Modi in December last year.
During a party event in Sangli, Rahul said, “The statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was damaged. Narendra Modi said ‘I apologise to Shivaji Maharaj’…But, it is an insult to Shivaji Maharaj. He should apologise not only to Shivaji Maharaj but also to every person in Maharashtra.” Rahul unveiled a life-size statue of late Congress leader Patangrao Kadam.
“…I give you a guarantee that Kadam ji’s statue installed will be here even after 50-70 years…” he said.
The Lok Sabha MP further pointed out that the Congress ideology is in Maharashtra’s DNA and alleged the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was giving benefit only to a few. He said that earlier, there used to be politics, but today there is an ideological fight in India.
How did PM Modi apologise?
Addressing a gathering in Palghar on August 30, PM Modi had apologised to “deity” Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and his followers.
“For me, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is not just a name or a king, but a respected deity. I bow my head at my revered deity’s feet and apologise. I also apologise to all those who worship Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj,” he had said.
The Maharashtra Police arrested sculptor and contractor Jaydeep Apte in connection with the statue collapse from Kalyan. He had gone missing for 10 days following the collapse of the statue.