Shivaji statue collapse row: Uddhav Thackeray slams PM's apology, says it 'smacked of arrogance'
Shivaji statue collapse row: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday slammed the Eknath Shinde government in Maharashtra for the collapse of a 35-foot statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji, claiming that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's apology smacked of arrogance and that the people of the state rejected it.
Addressing a crowd at the Maha Vikas Aghadi's "jode maro" protest (meaning struck with footwear) over the fall of the Maratha ruler's statue, Thackeray drew a comparison between the statue's collapse and water dripping into the Ram Temple in Ayodhya and the new Parliament complex.
"Did you see the arrogance in the Prime Minister's apology? It smacked of arrogance," the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader stated. "For what was the Prime Minister apologising? For the statue that he unveiled eight months ago? What about the corruption involved? The MVA cadre must work together to defeat the forces that humiliated Shivaji Maharaj. The collapse of the statue is an insult to the soul of Maharashtra."
The Prime Minister has apologised to Shivaji's followers for the statue's fall, which has sparked a big political dispute months before Maharashtra's Assembly elections.
"Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is not just a name or a king. For us, he is our deity. Today, I bow my head at his feet and apologise to my deity. I also apologise to the people hurt by the collapse," the Prime Minister said.
The BJP and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena have criticised the Opposition's protest, accusing them of politicising the matter.
In response to the accusation, Thackeray stated, "The BJP accuses us of politics, but we are battling for the state's pride. We have gone to the Gateway of India to tell the Mahayuti government to 'get out'."
- With inputs from agencies
