A statue of Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a fort in Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra, collapsed on Monday, an official said.

Following the incident, opposition parties sharply criticized the state government and accused it of paying too little attention to the quality of its work.

A 35-foot-high statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj collapsed at Rajkot Fort in Malvan around 1 pm, the official said.

Experts are yet to determine the exact cause of the collapse, but the district has experienced heavy rains and gusty winds over the past two to three days, he said.

Senior police and district administration officials have been on site to assess the situation and are currently assessing the damage, he said.

Prime Minister Modi unveiled the statue on December 4 last year on the occasion of Navy Day. He also attended the celebrations at the fort.

NCP (SP) state president and former minister Jayant Patil said, “The state government is responsible for the collapse as it did not exercise due diligence. The government paid little attention to the quality of work. It only focused on conducting an event where Prime Minister Narendra Modi was invited to unveil the statue. This Maharashtra government is only issuing new tenders, accepting orders and awarding contracts accordingly.” Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Vaibhav Naik also criticised the state government for the alleged poor quality of work.

“The state government may be trying to evade responsibility. The people responsible for the construction and erection of the statue must be thoroughly investigated,” he said.

Maharashtra Minister Deepak Kesarkar said, “I do not know all the details of the incident. However, it is important to note that PWD Minister Ravindra Chavan, who is also the guardian of Sindhudurg district, has said that the case will be thoroughly investigated.”

“We are committed to erecting a new statue at the same site. This statue unveiled by Prime Minister Modi is a tribute to Shivaji Maharaj’s visionary efforts to build a sea fort. We will take all necessary steps to resolve this matter promptly and effectively,” he said.

(This article has not been edited by News18 staff and is taken from the feed of a syndicated news agency – PTI)