Mumbai: Youth Congress leaders and other party workers were detained by Mumbai police on Friday while protesting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the city, demanding a public apology from him over the collapse of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue.
Several posters demanding an apology from the Prime Minister were put up in various locations by the Congress. These posters depicted the PM inaugurating the statue alongside another image showing the collapsed structure.
On Thursday, the Maharashtra Chief Minister stated that the state government is taking swift action to reconstruct the statue, and two committees have been formed to investigate its collapse in the Malvan area.
The Mumbai Congress claimed in a post on X that senior party leader Bhai Jagtap had been detained by the police and demanded his release. "Senior Congress leader Shri Bhai Jagtap has been illegally detained by the police for peacefully demonstrating against Narendra Modi. This is an outrageous abuse of power - silencing dissent through force won't suppress the truth," the post said. Another post on X claimed that MLA Aslam Shaikh had also been arrested.
Deputy CM Ajit Pawar also visited the site where the statue collapsed earlier today (Friday).
"Everyone is saddened by what has happened. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is our deity, and we are all proud of his legacy. The Chief Minister has held meetings regarding this incident. Efforts are being made to rebuild the memorial. Action will be taken against those responsible. No matter where they flee, they will be found. There is no point in debating whether it was the Navy or the PWD," Pawar stated.
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Earlier, Chetan Patil, the structural consultant for the Shivaji Maharaj statue that collapsed in Malvan, Sindhudurg, was arrested in Kolhapur, according to senior Kolhapur Police officials.
The statue was unveiled on December 4 last year as part of Navy Day celebrations, which were conducted for the first time in Sindhudurg. The event aimed to honour the legacy of the Maratha Navy and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's contributions to maritime defence and security, as well as its historical connection with the modern Indian Navy, according to a release from the Defence Ministry.
—ANI