The Sena also said all parties should come together to make Shivaji’s statue taller. (Express photo by Prashant Nadkar/File)The Shiv Sena on Monday asked Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to show as much courage to “assertively” state that the mid-sea Shivaji Memorial statue will be the tallest in the world, as he did while giving reservation to the Maratha community.
In an editorial in Saamana, the party mouthpiece, the Sena said NCP state unit chief Jayant Patil has claimed that the height of the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji has been decreased to ensure that Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s statue stays the tallest in the world. Some incidents seem to be proving his claims, it added.
“Fadnavis should use the same courage that he showed while giving reservation to the Maratha community and announce that the Shivaji statue will be the tallest in the world. If Fadnavis makes such an announcement, it will not irk Modi and Shah, and will not reduce the prestige of Sardar Patel,” said the editorial.
It reminded Fadnavis that Chintamanrao Deshmukh had tendered his resignation as the Union Finance Minister to the then Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, to ensure that Mumbai stays with Maharashtra. “Fadnavis, you must assertively say that there is no leader who can match Shivaji Maharaj and no statue will be taller than that of Shivaji,” the editorial said.
The Sena also said all parties should come together to make Shivaji’s statue taller. “It might be Modi’s wish to have the tallest statue of Sardar Patel… but decreasing the height of Shivaji’s statue to make Patel’s statue look taller is a sign of narrow and distorted mindset. So, there is a need for unity in the Maharashtra legislature,” the editorial added. Whether there was a plan to build the Sardar Sarovar statue first so that the Shivaji statue looked smaller before it? There is scope to think that the work of the Shivaji statue has been delayed due to that, the editorial added.
