In a unified show of dissent, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has called for a bandh in Malvan on Wednesday to protest against the recent collapse of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj?s statue. The incident has sparked outrage across Maharashtra, with the Congress leading statewide demonstrations against the state government.
On Tuesday, Congress party workers staged protests in several cities, including Malvan, Karad (Satara district), Kolhapur, and Nashik. The demonstrations were organized soon after the statue?s collapse, with the Congress urging its local units to hold the state government accountable.
Former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, who joined the protests in Karad, demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, holding him responsible for the incident. "The government has failed in its duty, and the Chief Minister should step down immediately," Chavan said.
Congress leader and MLC Satej alias Bunty Patil visited Malvan to participate in the demonstrations, criticizing the state government for allegedly attempting to shift the blame onto the navy. "The state government is trying to pass the buck to the navy, but it is clear that the job was handed over to an inexperienced contractor," Patil asserted.
Other senior leaders from the MVA also voiced their disapproval. Congress state president Nana Patole, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, and NCP (SP) state president Jayant Patil were particularly vocal in their criticism of the state government.
Patole condemned the government?s response, stating, "We will not tolerate the insult of Shivaji Maharaj. The government is shirking its responsibility and blaming the navy for the incident. There is strong anger against the government among the public. Therefore, not only contractors and officers but cases should be registered against both the state and central governments."
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut pointed to a broader pattern of failures, implicating projects inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "Projects inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi are disintegrating. The Ayodhya Ram Mandir is leaking, the new parliamentary building is leaking, and bridges inaugurated by Modi in various states are collapsing. The Samruddhi Mahamarg is also in bad shape. Now, Shivaji Maharaj?s statue has collapsed," Raut stated, adding that Public Works Department Minister Ravindra Chavan should be sacked for the incident.
Jayant Patil, expressing solidarity with the protesters, announced that thousands of NCP (SP) workers would march to Malvan on Wednesday to join the bandh. "The people of Maharashtra will not forgive this government for its negligence. We demand accountability and justice," Patil declared.
The collapse of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj?s statue has become a flashpoint in Maharashtra?s political landscape, with the opposition intensifying its demand for action and accountability from the state government. As the situation escalates, all eyes are on the government?s next move in addressing the growing public anger.
