MVA Leaders Hold March To Condemnt Shivaji Maharaj Statue Collapse

On Sunday, leaders of the opposition coalition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) organized a protest march in Mumbai, moving from Hutatma Chowk to the Gateway of India. This demonstration was in response to the recent collapse of a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Sindhudurg district, which occurred on August 26. The statue, a 35-foot tribute to the 17th-century Maratha king, had been unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi just eight months earlier, on December 4, 2023, during Navy Day celebrations.

During the march, prominent figures including Uddhav Thackeray, leader of Shiv Sena (UBT), and Sharad Pawar, head of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), criticized both the Union and state governments for the incident. Thackeray described Modi’s apology regarding the statue’s collapse as “smacking of arrogance,” while Pawar labeled the event as indicative of corruption within the government. The MVA leaders expressed that the statue’s collapse was not just a structural failure but a profound insult to the legacy of Shivaji Maharaj, which resonates deeply with the people of Maharashtra.

The protest was marked by symbolic gestures, including the carrying of large slippers as part of a “jode maro andolan” (footwear protest), aimed at denouncing the government. The MVA leaders laid wreaths at Hutatma Chowk, a memorial for those who lost their lives in the ‘Samyukta Maharashtra’ movement, before proceeding to the Gateway of India, where they continued to voice their grievances against the ruling government.

In response to the MVA’s actions, the BJP organized counter-protests, accusing the opposition of politicizing the statue’s collapse for electoral gain. Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis dismissed the MVA’s protest as politically motivated, asserting that the opposition has historically disrespected the legacy of Shivaji Maharaj.

The event has sparked significant debate in Maharashtra, highlighting the tensions between the ruling coalition and the opposition as they prepare for upcoming elections.