Politics on Shivaji in Maharashtra! MVA's big leaders including Uddhav take to streets

Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar supremo Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (Shiv Sena- UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray led the 'Maha Vikas Aghadi' (MVA) march from the iconic Hutatma Chowk in South Mumbai to the 'Gateway of India' on Sunday in protest against the collapse of the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra. MVA leaders criticized the central and state governments for the collapse of the statue.

The issue of the collapse of Shivaji Maharaj's statue in Sindhudurg, Maharashtra, was seen in the form of a huge march on the streets today. The demonstration was named "Juta Maro Andolan"! When Uddhav threw slippers on the photo of Shinde-Fadnavis, the Chief Minister said - the public will beat the opponents with shoes. While the opposition reached the Gateway of India raising slogans of “Mahayuti Get Out”, BJP also took to the streets to respond.

Uddhav Thackeray, the head of Shiv Sena (UBT), a constituent of the alliance, said that the apology tendered by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this matter “smells of arrogance” and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) chief Sharad Pawar called the incident an example of corruption.

The statue of the 17th century Maratha warrior fell on August 26 at Rajkot Fort in Malvan tehsil, about 480 km from Mumbai. It was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the occasion of Navy Day on December 4, 2023. Sharad Pawar of Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar (NCP-SP), Uddhav Thackeray of Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress state unit chief Nana Patole and party's Mumbai unit chief Varsha Gaikwad started the protest march by paying floral tributes at Hutatma Chowk, built in memory of those martyred in the 'United Maharashtra' movement. Thackeray, while addressing a gathering at the Gateway of India, said, "Did you see the arrogance in (Prime Minister Narendra Modi's) apology? It reeked of arrogance. A deputy chief minister was smiling." He said, "This mistake (the statue collapse incident) cannot be forgiven. We all have gathered here to demand that the BJP should go out of India." He said that the people of Maharashtra will never forgive the insult of the great warrior. Thackeray cited the collapse of the statue, leakage in the Ram temple and in the new Parliament building complex to ridicule Modi's "guarantee".