Mumbai: In a unique protest against the BJP-led central government, former Rajya Sabha MP and decesdant of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Sambhaji Raje took a boat ride inspecting the site where Shivaji Maharaj's statue is planned to be erected. Prime Minister Modi had performed to jal-poojan for the Shivaji Maharaj statue at the Arabian Sea eight years ago, however, there hardly has been any progress in the project.
The Shiv Smarak project has seen several delays due to required clearances from dozens of departments, especially the environmental nods.
Sambhaji Raje Chhatrapati arrived in Mumbai's Gateway of India on Sunday with thousands of his supporters and members of his Maharashtra Swarajrya Party. Speaking with the media, Sambhaji Raje said, "On 24 December 2016, PM Modi performed the jal-poojan but it (the Shivaji Maharaj statue) has not seen the light of day. There is a government (of the BJP) in the Centre and Maharashtra but still they have failed," Raje said attacking the BJP for the delayed Shiv Smarak project.
अरबी समुद्रातील शिवस्मारकाच्या मुद्द्यावरुन Sambhajiraje आक्रमक, मुंबईतून सरकारला धरलं धारेवर | NDTV मराठी #sambhajiraje #Mumbai #NDTVMarathi pic.twitter.com/JOKetaC3JF
— NDTV Marathi (@NDTVMarathi) October 6, 2024
Heavy police security was deployed as Raje and his supporters arrived in Mumbai. A tense situation was seen near Gateway of India when his supporters were detained by the police at the time Raje was addressing the crowd, showed the video posted by NDTV Marathi.
For the unversed, Sambhaji Raje's father Shahu Chhatrapati is a Congress MP from Kolhapur Lok Sabha constituency and a respected figure in the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi.
Sambhaji Raje Chhatrapati is gearing up for the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections. Two years after he floated Swarajya Sangathan, the social outfit has now turned into a political party- Maharashtra Swarajya Paksha. It recently officially registered as a political party with the 'pen nib with seven rays' symbol ahead of state elections.
About Shiv Smarak
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Memorial, popularly called as Shiv Smarak is a mammoth statue proposed to be constructed across the Girgaum Chowpatty to honour the Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. It is a complex project planned to be built on an island measuring 15.96 hectares in the Arabian Sea.
The statue, along with the pedestal and foundation at 309 feet, would be higher than the Statue of Liberty and upon completion would be a major tourist attraction in the island city.