Chhatrapati Shivaji Statue Collapse: Prime Minister Narendra Modi tendered an apology on Friday for the collapse of the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji earlier this month in the Malvan tehsil of the Sindhudurg district in Maharashtra. The incident created a political stir in the state, with opposition leaders slamming the ruling Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena-BJP government.

"Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is not just a name for us. Today I bow my head and apologise to my god Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Our values are different, we are not those people who keep abusing and insulting the great son of Mother India, the son of this land, Veer Savarkar. They are not ready to apologize, they are ready to go to the courts and fight," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said.

The Prime Minister's remarks came amid fierce criticism of the Eknath Shinde-led Mahayuti government in the state by the Maharashtra opposition, which accused the government of insulting Chhatrapati Shivaji. The 35-foot-tall statue was unveiled by PM Modi in December last year during the Navy Day celebrations in Sindhudurg district. The statue was aimed at honouring the legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj towards maritime defence.

"Our values are different. For us, nothing is bigger than our deity. Some people keep abusing Veer Savarkar but are not ready to apologise for insulting him. 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," he said.

The prime minister further slammed the Congress for insulting and abusing Savarkar but not apologising for it. "India's great son Veer Savarkar is abused. They (Opposition) crush the sentiments of patriots. Even after insulting Savarkar, they do not apologise. They go to court, but they do not repent. This is their tradition," he said.

Earlier in the day, the Maharashtra Congress unit launched a protest against the state and central governments over the collapse. Youth Congress leaders and other party workers were detained while protesting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Mumbai, demanding a public apology from him. Several posters demanding an apology from the Prime Minister were put up in various locations by the Congress. These posters depicted the PM inaugurating the statue alongside another image showing the collapsed structure.

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"Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj who is worshipped in the whole of Maharashtra and India, to whom we call the "public's king", his statue was made in Malvan's Rajkot Fort, which was inaugurated by PM Modi. First, of all, I want to ask PM Modi Ji about the bhumi-pujan he did for Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's statue in the Arabian Sea. Before that statue could be completed, his statue at Rajkot Fort in Malvan collapsed in just 8 months. It is clear that there is corruption in it. Modi Ji, when will you apologise (Modi Ji Aap Kab Maafi Mangenge)?" Congress leader Varsha Gaekwad said at the protest.

The PM's move to apologise came after Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar also apologised amid outrage over the crash of the statue. Meanwhile, the state government has announced that a joint technical committee headed by the Navy with representatives from the state government and technical experts will investigate the reasons for the statue collapse.

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Meanwhile, Chetan Patil, the structural consultant of the Shivaji Maharaj statue that collapsed in the Malvan area of Sindhudurg, has been arrested from Kolhapur, said senior officials of Kolhapur Police. A team from the local crime branch of Kolhapur Police had launched an operation to trace Patil and subsequently, he was arrested by the officials at around 12.30 am on Friday from Kolhapur.