Far from over
Updated On: 02 September, 2024 06:53 AM IST | Mumbai | Dharmendra Jore
Apology or no apology from the government, the collapse of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue is here to stay as an election issue
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Youth Congress members stage a protest near a Shivaji statue against the state government over the recent collapse of a Shivaji statue, in Malvan, on Saturday. Pic/PTI
Apologies from PM Narendra Modi, CM Eknath Shinde and other National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leaders over the collapse of the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj haven’t blunted the Opposition’s attack, but have instead sharpened it on Sunday through ‘jode maro andolan’ (hit with shoe agitation) that saw participation by the Maha Vikas Aghadi’s top leadership, and Chhatrapati Shivaji’s descendants from Kolhapur. The protest is expected to spread across the state starting Monday.
The Mahayuti is aware of the tension and wary of the Opposition’s effort to derive electoral advantage out of the sentiment. In dealing with it, the BJP has countered with a parallel protest against MVA, saying that the Opposition should stop politics over the unfortunate incident. Politically speaking, it is unlikely that the MVA rank and file will lay down the arms that have been handed to them on a platter by the Sindhudurg incident ahead of the Assembly elections. Within a week of the public uprising over the Badlapur sexual assaults, the Opposition latched on to the statue collapse. All oppositions have done it and will continue to do it.
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