Bow my head at Shivaji's feet and apologise: PM on statue collapse

The collapse of the 35-foot statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, unveiled by PM Modi just eight months ago, came as a major embarrassment to the ruling Mahayuti government

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Calling Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj his "deity", Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday apologised to the revered 17th century warrior king and all those who were hurt by the collapse of his statue at the coastal district Sindhudurg's Rajkot Fort.

The collapse of the 35-foot statue, unveiled by PM Modi just eight months ago, came as a major embarrassment to the ruling Mahayuti government, with Assembly elections in Maharashtra being just around the corner.

Speaking at an event here, PM Modi said: "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." His apology comes amid an outrage in Maharashtra over the incident as Shivaji Maharaj is a revered figure and his legacy is a sensitive issue in the state

"Our values are different. For us, nothing is bigger than our deity... The moment I landed here, I first apologised to Shivaji Maharaj over the statue collapse. I also apologise to the people who were hurt by the collapse," the Prime Minister said as the government attempted damage control ahead of Assembly polls.

Taking a swipe at the Opposition, which has been trying to corner the coalition government over the issue, Modi said, "Some people keep abusing Veer Savarkar but are not ready to apologise for insulting him." Later, PM Modi also laid the foundation stone of the Rs 76,000 crore Vadhvan Port project in Maharashtra's Palghar district.

Modi had unveiled the statue in December last year during the Navy Day celebrations in Sindhudurg district.