Alleging that there was “corruption in the entire process”, Chaturvedi said that proper clearances were not taken before the construction of the Shivaji statue at Rajkot fort, and the government is now blaming the Indian Navy for the incident.

“The statue was made hurriedly for elections. The statue was made for PMs prachaar. There was corruption in the entire process. There were clearances that were not taken. There were lies told to absolve themselves and blame the Indian navy. This apology is nothing but yet another act of political desperation,” the Sena leader posted on X.

Read more: ‘Apologise to our deity…’: PM Modi on Chhatrapati Shivaji statue collapse

This comes after PM Modi, during his visit to Maharashtra’s Palghar district, apologised to ‘deity’ Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and his followers for the collapse of the 35-foot statue on Monday.

“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,” PM Modi said while addressing the foundation stone laying event of Vadhvan Port project on Friday.

“Those who consider Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to be their Aaradhya Dev, I bow my head and apologize to those who have been deeply hurt by this Aaradhya Dev. I bow my head and apologize to those who have been deeply hurt by this Aaradhya Dev. My values are different. For me, there is nothing greater than my Aaradhya De,” the prime minister said.

The 35-foot Shivaji structure, which fell on August 26, was unveiled by the PM on December 4, 2023, on the occasion of Navy Day. The collapse of the statue sparked a political slugfest in Maharashtra, as opposition parties alleged that the government rushed the construction to unveil it before the Lok Sabha elections.

Opposition parties further attacked the Mahayuti government for blaming the wind and weather conditions for the collapse of the statue, and sought the resignation of chief minister Eknath Shinde.