Navy on Shivaji statue: Conceptualised, Steered Project with State Govt which Also Gave Funds

Mumbai: The Indian Navy on Thursday said it conceptualised and steered the project of installing the Shivaji statue, which collapsed in Maharashtra’s Malvan this week, in coordination with the state government which also provided funding for it.

The Navy said in a statement that it remains committed to assisting in all measures to repair, restore and reinstate the statue at the earliest.

A joint technical committee headed by Indian Navy officials, representatives of the state government and technical experts is being formed to probe the collapse of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s statue in Malvan, the Navy said.

Late on Wednesday night, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde held a meeting of top officials of the state government and the Indian Navy.

The Navy said the statue was unveiled as part of the Navy Day celebrations, held for the first time in Sindhudurg district, aimed at honouring the legacy of the “Maratha Navy” and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj towards maritime defence and security, and its historical linkage with the modern Indian Navy.

“The project was conceptualised and steered by the Indian Navy, in coordination with the state government which also provided funding for it,” the Navy said.

The 35-foot statue of the 17th-century Maratha empire founder installed at Rajkot Fort in Sindhudurg district’s Malvan tehsil collapsed on August 26, nearly nine months after it was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The state government has maintained that the structure was designed and built by the Navy and ordered a probe into the crash episode.

However, the incident has triggered a political storm in Maharashtra, with the opposition accusing the state government of corruption and insulting the Maratha warrior king.