Nagpur: Calling the Maha Vikas Aghadi protest 'political', Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said on Sunday that it is sad that the opposition is doing politics on the Shivaji Maharaj issue. He also asserted that in the coming elections, the people of Maharashtra will beat them (opposition) with shoes.
"This is a very sad thing for us. Shivaji Maharaj cannot be a political issue for us, this is a matter of identity and faith for us. The incident that happened was unfortunate. Doing politics on it is a sad thing and the opposition is doing politics on this. Two JCBs were brought to break the statue of Shivaji Maharaj in Karnataka, and that statue was uprooted, those who did this should be beaten. Instead of doing this, they (MVA) are protesting here, but the people of Maharashtra are wise, they are seeing this. In the coming elections, the people of Maharashtra will beat them with shoes," he said.
Earlier today, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said that the Aghadi would not sit quietly when such a big incident has happened and that the BJP has gone mad for holding a counter-protest against them.
"This is the problem in Maharashtra. Devendra Fadnavis is the mastermind behind all this. The whole country knows this. Modi ji also knows this. Whether it is the Chief Minister or the Deputy CM, will the problem be solved by apologizing? Let the people of Maharashtra express their feelings. Will we sit quietly? Such a big statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj got broken, that too in the fort in seven months and we will sit quietly? Are the people of Maharashtra impotent? We must do some movement in a democratic way. It is a great quality of democracy that you can protest," he said.
Congress leader Bhai Jagtap said that the government had no shame even after the Shivaji Maharaj statue collapsed.
"This land is known as the land of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, his statue collapsed, and they have no shame over this. They are saying not to politicise it, but if the BJP is protesting in support, then they should be ashamed. The people of Maharashtra will not forgive them. They that PM Modi apologised. You don't apologise in front of thousands of people by clenching your fist. Maharashtra is the land of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj...Why did he not go to Malvan in a chopper and visit the site where the state collapsed?" he said.
NCP-SCP leader Rajesh Tope said, "Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is the pride and spirit of Maharashtra. I think this incident has hurt both of these. Our protest march is a part of democracy. Not granting permission is like strangling democracy. Government should not do it; they should grant permission."
While the MVA's protest march, which started from Hutatma Chowk to Gateway of India, aimed to condemn the incident, the BJP staged a counter-protest against the MVA in the Dadri area of Mumbai, accusing the latter of politicising the issue.
A 35-foot-tall statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Sindhudurg district collapsed on August 26. It was unveiled on December 4 last year during Navy Day celebrations, marking the first such event in Sindhudurg.
—ANI