The collapse of the 35-feet-tall statue of 17th century warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi barely nine months ago, at the Rajkot fort in Malvan, Maharashtra, has put the Mahayuti government in a spot of embarrassment in the run-up to assembly polls due later this year.

The imposing statue of Maharashtra’s greatest icon and pride had been inaugurated on Navy Day (December 4) at the fort located by the coastline. The crash on August 26 has invited flak from the Opposition as well as charges of corruption.

“It is unimaginable that the statue of our deity, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, would also be a subject of the BJP’s corruption. Here too, a favoured contractor friend. Here too, terrible quality of work. Here too, an inauguration keeping in mind the elections, not the sentiment. And then, the usual trolls and shameless politicians trying to put the blame on the Indian Navy. What a shame!” said Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader and former minister Aaditya Thackeray.

His party’s Rajya Sabha MP and spokesperson Sanjay Raut demanded the resignation of public works department (PWD) minister Ravindra Chavan, who ironically is also the guardian minister of Sindhudurg district, where the fort is.

The Opposition alleged the statue was constructed by a firm owned by a friend of Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde’s son Shrikant Shinde, who is the Shiv Sena MP from Kalyan. Congress leaders and workers agitated across the state on August 27.

Chavan tried to wash the state government’s hands of the mishap by pointing out that the work order for the Rs 2.36 crore project had been given by the Indian Navy. “The work happened under the supervision of the Navy,” he said.

Chavan said the humid and salty air on the coastline could have corroded the steel used in the structure and that a PWD official had written to the Indian Navy about this. A complaint had been lodged with the police for action against the project contractor and structural consultant, he said, promising a new statue within two months.

Deepak Kesarkar, minister for school education and MLA from neighbouring Sawantwadi, said a larger statue would be erected at the site.

Hardly a week ago, on August 20, an assistant engineer of the PWD had written to the Navy about how the nuts and bolts used in the joints of the statue had rusted and had asked for the sculptor, Jaydeep Apte, to be given instructions to evolve a permanent solution.

Yuvraj Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati, scion of the royal family of Kolhapur and a descendant of Shivaji Maharaj, said he had written to the prime minister on December 12 last year, stating how the statue “did not fit into the aesthetics of being a good sculpture”. “It seems that work on the statue has been undertaken in a short time and in a hurry. Deficiencies can be seen in many parts of the statue,” he wrote, while asking for an expert committee to examine the issue and for the installation of an aesthetically appropriate statue.

Meanwhile, Satej (Bunty) Patil, former minister and group leader of the Congress in the legislative council, criticised Chavan for shifting the blame to the Navy. He sought to know the basis on which the contractor was selected given the reports of their limited experience with large-scale monuments.

“We strongly oppose the Mahayuti government’s apparent attempt to save face by casting aspersions on the Indian Navy. This approach not only demonstrates a lack of accountability for a significant failure but also shows disrespect to an institution that has long served as a pillar of national security and pride,” posted Patil on micro-blogging site X.

“The collapse of Chhatrapati Maharaj’s statue is a matter of both practical and symbolic importance. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj holds a revered place in Indian history, and any monument in his honour should be constructed with the utmost care and respect. The government’s handling of this incident raises serious questions about project management, transparency and the respect afforded to both historical figures and national institutions,” he wrote.

The Indian Navy also issued a statement: “Indian Navy notes with deep concern the damage caused this morning to the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj that was unveiled on Navy Day on December 4, 2023 as a dedication to the citizens of Sindhudurg. Along with the state government and concerned specialists, the Navy has 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.”