‘Shivaji Maharaj’s statue collapse gave BJP message about their ideology’: Rahul

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday attacked the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Maharashtra over the collapse of the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Rajkot fort in Sindhudurg district, saying the saffron party’s ideology was “wrong” which is why, the Lok Sabha MP said, the statue fell a few days after its unveiling.
Addressing a public gathering in Kolhapur after unveiling a statue of Shivaji Maharaj, the Lok Sabha LoP said, “The Congress party today is fighting against the same ideology that Shivaji Maharaj fought against. They [BJP] made a statue of Shivaji Maharaj and after a few days, the statue broke and fell down.”
“Their intention was wrong and the statue gave them a message that if you want to make a statue of Shivaji Maharaj, then you have to protect the ideology of Shivaji Maharaj. That is why the statue fell down because their ideology is wrong… They did not allow the tribal President to attend the inauguration of Ram Mandir and Parliament… This is not a political fight, this is a fight of ideology,” Rahul Gandhi said.
Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi who had apologised to Shivaji Maharaj and Maharashtra following the collapse of the statue, Rahul Gandhi said, “There is no use of bowing before Shivaji Maharaj after scaring people, destroying the Constitution and institutions in the country.”
“Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is not just a name or a king. For us, he is our deity. Today, I bow my head at his feet and apologise to my deity,” PM Modi had said on August 30 during his visit to Maharashtra.
When did the Shivaji Maharaj statue collapse? The 35-foot statue of Shivaji Maharaj fell on August 26. It was unveiled by PM Narendra Modi on December 4, 2023, on the occasion of Navy Day.