Why did the 35-foot Shivaji statue unveiled in 2023 collapse in Maharashtra?

A statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, which was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi around nine months ago in Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg district, collapsed on Monday, August 26.

An FIR has been filed and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has ordered a probe into the incident.

It has also sparked massive criticism from opposition parties, who have blamed the state administration for disrespecting the Maratha warrior and paying ‘little attention’ to the quality of the work.

Here’s all we know about it.

The Shivaji statue collapse

The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue at Rajkot Fort in Sindhudurg’s Malvan collapsed on Monday at around 1 pm, according to The Times of India.

Soon after the collapse, senior police and district administration officials reached the site to take stock of the situation and assess the damage, an official told the outlet.

For those uninitiated, the 35-foot steel statue was unveiled by PM Modi on December 4, 2023, as part of Navy Day celebrations at the fort.

The work on the statue began on September 8, with the Indian Navy, which has no expertise in statue construction, being tasked with the job.

Issuing a statement after the incident, the Navy said it “notes with deep concern the damage caused this morning to the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj… Along with the state government and concerned specialists, the Navy had deputed a team to immediately investigate the cause of this unfortunate accident and initiate steps to repair, restore and reinstate the statue at the earliest.”

‘Nuts and bolts rusted’

Sindhudarg guardian minister Ravindra Chavan, who also holds the PWD portfolio, said a case has been registered against the contractor of the firm Jaydeep Apte, and structural consultant Chetan Patil under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

The charges include collusion, fraud, and endangering public safety, as per NDTV.

The FIR follows a complaint by the Public Works Department (PWD), which claims the statue’s construction was of poor quality. It alleged that the nuts and bolts used in the construction of the structure were rusted.

The department had also written to the Area Coastal Security Officer regarding the precarious condition of the statue on August 20. It highlighted that despite repairs carried out in June, the local gram panchayat and tourists had complained the statue looked shaky, as per TOI.

However, no preventive action was taken.

BJP minister Chavan said, as per the newspaper, “The steel used in making of the statue had started rusting. The PWD had already written to the Navy informing them of the statue catching rust and requesting them to take appropriate steps. The Navy also said it has deputed a team to repair and restore the statue at the earliest.”

Opposition slams administration

Soon after the statue collapsed, the opposition leaders criticised the Mahayuti government and said that it is highly disrespectful towards Shivaji Maharaj.

Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Aaditya Thackeray claimed that the memorial was made in haste keeping the elections in sight.

“Because of that arrogance, Maharaj’s memorial was made in haste without considering the seriousness of it. The intention was to use only the Maharaja’s image, so the quality of the memorial was not taken into account,” he said, further adding that “The Mindhe regime and the poisonous snake called BJP, which insulted the Maharaja, must now bite! Every image of Chhatrapati Shivarai, who is the pride of Maharashtra, should be taken care of!”

According to The Hindu, Leader of Opposition Vijay Wadettiwar said, “It is disgraceful that this government has allegedly siphoned off funds even in the construction of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s statue.”

He further called the incident a “shameful example” of a government mired in corruption and demanded a thorough investigation.

Furious Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Vaibhav Naik reportedly vandalised Sindhudurg’s PWD office, which was responsible for the ‘substandard’ work.

He said, “State government may try to evade responsibility. People responsible for the construction and erection of the statue must be probed thoroughly.”

Chhatrapati Sambhajiraje of Kolhapur, the 13th direct descendant of Shivaji Maharaj, said in a post on X, “The statue erected in haste to inaugurate by the Prime Minister collapsed! We had written a letter to the PM and demanded this statue, which was shapeless and not according to sculpture… be changed. In Maharashtra, there is unprecedented for a memorial to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to collapse within a year. Given this, how can we even speak of preserving Maharaja’s forts with any credibility?”

“Now, it is essential to construct a proper memorial for Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at that site. However, in the rush to complete it before elections, we must avoid repeating the same mistakes. It is crucial that this monument is rebuilt scientifically, even if it takes more time,” the former Rajya Sabha MP and the heir to Kolhapur royal family, added.

AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi said that the collapse of Shivaji’s statue is a “reflection of the poor quality of infrastructure built by Modi Sarkar. Shivaji was a symbol of equality and secularism, his statue’s collapse is an example of PM Modi’s lack of commitment to Shivaji’s vision.”

NCP (SP) state president and former minister Jayant Patil said, “The state government is responsible for the collapse as it did not take proper care. The government paid little attention to the quality of work. It only focused on conducting an event where PM Modi was invited to unveil the statue. This Maharashtra government only issues new tenders, accepts commissions and gives contracts accordingly.”

CM Shinde orders probe

CM Shinde acknowledged the incident and attributed the collapse to strong winds.

He said, “The incident that happened is unfortunate. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is the revered deity of Maharashtra. This statue was erected by the Navy. They had also designed it. But due to strong winds of around 45 kilometre per hour, it fell and got damaged.”

“Tomorrow, officials from PWD and the Navy will visit the site and investigate the cause behind it. I sent PWD Ravindra Chavan to the site as soon as I heard about the incident. We will find out the reasons behind this incident and reinstall the statue… at the same place,” he added.

BJP minister Chavan said, “The state paid Rs 2.36 crore to Navy for the statue’s installation. But the entire procedure of selection of artists, its design was done by Navy officials.”

Maharashtra Minister Deepak Kesarkar said, “I don’t have all the details about the incident. However, it’s important to note that PWD Minister Ravindra Chavan, also the guardian minister of Sindhudurg district, has said a thorough investigation will be conducted in the matter.”

“We are committed to erecting a new statue at the same location. This statue, unveiled by PM Modi, pays tribute to Shivaji Maharaj’s visionary efforts in building a sea fort. We will take all necessary steps to address this matter promptly and effectively,” he said.

With inputs from agencies