The Maha Vikas Aghadi took to the streets in Mumbai on Sunday against Maharashtra's Mahayuti government over the collapse of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's statue. The opposition alliance held the 'jode maro andolan' (hitting with slippers) protest march from Hutatma Chowk to Gateway of India, which was joined by NCP-SCP chief Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole and other leaders as well as workers.
The 35 feet statue of the 17th century Maratha warrior collapsed on August 26, nearly eight months after it was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 4, 2023, at Rajkot Fort in Sindhudurg district's Malvan tehsil.
While the Congress said that the incident showed the corrupt practices of the government, the BJP hit back saying the protests were politically motivated.
During the protest, Uddhav Thackeray joined Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress leaders to hit a poster of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar with footwear.
The opposition's MVA alliance— consisting of Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, and Nationalist Congress Party (SCP) — has been lashing out at the Mahayuti government in Maharashtra over the incident and announced a protest on Sunday regarding the same.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi apologised over the incident but the Opposition has stood firm on its grounds.
Congress Trains Guns
Congress leader Nana Patole said that simply apologising will not suffice as the episode has "hurt the pride of Maharashtra". Patole said that the Prime Minister or his team should have checked whether the statute was alright and that all the required clearances had been obtained.
He also alleged that the statue was hastily installed for unveiling by Prime Minister Modi" by the state government.
Senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan also trained guns on the Mahayuti government saying the incident was a blot on the state and showed the corrupt practices of the government.
He also accused the state government of pushing Maharashtra towards "complete bankruptcy" and said that Modi's apology was "conditional" and "political".
BJP Hits Back
The Bharatiya Janata Party questioned the relevance of MVA's Sunday protest and alleged that it was "politically motivated" with an eye on upcoming elections.
Addressing a press conference on Saturday, party chief spokesperson Keshav Upadhye said that the opposition's love for the founder of the Maratha empire was superficial.
He questioned whether the MVA will stage similar protests for the past "apologies" by Jawaharlal Nehru over his remarks on Shivaji Maharaj and by Sonia Gandhi over the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
"Rahul Gandhi had also apologised for his comments on the Rafale episode. Will they (MVA) stage a similar protest for these apologies?" Upadhye questioned.
The BJP leader also said that the party's Youth Wing would stage agitations across the state on Sunday near the statues of Shivaji Maharaj to "expose" opposition.
Gateway Of India To Remain Closed Till Further Orders
In view of MVA's protest, Mumbai's iconic tourist spot, Gateway of India will remain closed for visitors till further orders. The MVA will takeout its protest march from Hutatma Chowk to Gateway of India. Police and other security personnel are deployed in the city in view of the possibility of violence.