'PM Modi, BJP should apologise for their corruption': Rahul Gandhi launches scathing attack on PM Modi over Shivaji statue collapse

The political storm surrounding the collapse of a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Maharashtra's Sindhudurg district has intensified, with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi launching a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling BJP. 

The statue, which had been inaugurated barely a year ago, came crashing down late last month, sparking outrage across the poll-bound state. Opposition parties have been quick to seize on the incident, with Uddhav Thackeray's party, along with the Congress and the National Congress Party, accusing the BJP and its alliance partners of corruption and negligence.

Prime Minister Modi, in response to the uproar, issued a public apology—a rare move that has only fueled further controversy. 

In a pointed tweet, Gandhi asked, "Maharashtra and the whole country want to know why the Prime Minister apologized!" 

Gandhi, who is also the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, asked further whether the apology from PM Modi because of three reasons. "For giving contracts to RSS people without merit, for the corruption in the construction of the statue, or to insult a revered great man like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj," he wrote on X. 

He further added: "Whatever the reason, the Prime Minister and BJP are criminals of entire Maharashtra along with Shivaji Maharaj - they should apologize to every resident of the state for their behavior and corruption."

The incident has become a flashpoint in Maharashtra's political landscape, with the Opposition relentlessly targeting the BJP-led government over the collapse. Many view the Shivaji statue as not just a monument, but a symbol of the Maratha warrior king's legacy and pride for the state. 

Reacting to the controversy, PM Modi during an event in Palghar recently offered his apology. "Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is not merely a name or a king, but a revered deity. Today, I humbly bow at his feet and offer my apology to my deity," he had said.

Last night, the Maharashtra police had apprehended the sculptor of the collapsed statue, Jaydeep Apte.

With state elections in Maharashtra on the horizon, the controversy is expected to play a significant role in shaping the political narrative.