New Delhi: The political storm surrounding the collapse of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s statue in Maharashtra continues to rage, with Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut unleashing a scathing critique of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s apology.
Raut dismissed the apology as a mere political manoeuvre to quell the controversy, stating that it would never compensate for the “insult” to the revered warrior king. He went on to demand an apology for other perceived failures, including the Pulwama attack and the unfulfilled promise of Kashmiri Pandits’ return.
He questioned Modi’s sincerity, arguing that if he truly regretted the incident, he should have apologised for the deaths of 40 soldiers in the Pulwama attack.
“This is a political apology, a political moment.They are asking for an apology to get away with it. Apologisng will not compensate for the insult to Chhatrapati, it will never be enough. If the Prime Minister sincerely apologizes, then he should have apologized to the nation 5-10 years ago when 40 of our soldiers were killed in Pulwama, causing widespread grief,” Raut was quite as saying by The Times of India.
“Forty soldiers were killed at once due to your failure. Even today, killings continue in Jammu and Kashmir, and the promise of homecoming for our Kashmiri Pandits has not been fulfilled; you should apologize for that too. You have lied so many times. You should apologise to the nation every day, but you haven’t. This is Maharashtra; Maharashtra does not forgive anyone, especially in matters related to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. So, you have no other option but to apologise,” he added.
The controversy erupted after the statue, unveiled by Modi last December, collapsed due to strong winds. While the incident was initially attributed to natural causes, the opposition alleges corruption and negligence within the BJP-led state government.
“Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is not just a name for me, for us Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is our idol. Whatever happened in Sindhudurg a few days ago…today I bow and place my head at the feet of my beloved god Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and apologise,” PM Modi said while addressing a rally in Maharasthra’s Palghar.
While the Navy has pledged to repair the statue, the incident has fueled political tensions in the state, with both the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the BJP engaging in a war of words.
