MVA holds protest; Modi’s apology smacks of arrogance, says Uddhav

Mumbai: The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi on Sunday took out a march in Mumbai to protest the collapse of Shivaji Maharaj’s statue and rejected Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s apology over the incident, stepping up the political confrontation with the ruling Mahayuti ahead of the assembly polls.

Claiming that the statue incident was being “politicised” by the Opposition, the ruling BJP also demonstrated in various parts of the state.

The ‘jode maro andolan’ (hitting with slippers) protest reflected the unity among the Maha Vikas Aghadi partners- Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (SP), and Congress, pitted against the ruling troika of Shiv Sena, BJP, and NCP.

Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray, and state Congress chief Nana Patole laid wreaths at a memorial dedicated the martyrs of the joint Maharashtra’ agitation in south Mumbai, before leading the march from Hutatma Chowk to the Gateway of India.

They slammed the Union and state governments over the statue crash, with Thackeray dismissing Modi’s apology as one “smacking of arrogance”. Pawar alleged the statue episode was an example of corruption.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde hit back at Thackeray and accused him of playing politics in the name of Shivaji but emulating the deeds of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb and Bijapur general Afzal Khan --both highly polarising figures in Maharashtra and the Maratha history.

The statue of the 17th century Maratha warrior king at Rajkot fort in Malvan tehsil fell on August 26, over eight months after it was unveiled by PM Modi on the occasion of Navy Day.

“Did you notice the arrogance in the (Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s) apology? It smacked of arrogance. One deputy chief minister was smiling,” Thackeray told a gathering after the culmination of the march at Gateway of India.

“The PM apologised for what? For the statue, he inaugurated eight months ago? For the corruption involved? The MVA cadre must work together to defeat the forces that have insulted Shivaji Maharaj. The collapse of the statue is an insult to the soul of Maharashtra,” the former chief minister said. Addressing MVA leaders and workers at the protest march, Pawar said the collapse of the statue was an example of corruption. “It is an insult to all Shivpremis (followers of the warrior king)”.

Several leaders from opposition parties, including Congress MP Shahu Chhatrapati, a descendant of the Maratha emperor, NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule and MLA Anil Deshmukh, joined the protest march, which commenced after 11 am and concluded at noon.

Thackeray joined Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress leaders to hit a poster of CM Shinde and deputy CMs

Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar with footwear.