Rahul Gandhi unveils Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue in Kolhapur

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi unveils 20-foot statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Kolhapur, emphasizing unity and Constitution.

Congress leader and Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi unveiled a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Kolhapur on Saturday (October 5, 2024).

Months after a controversy erupted after the collapse of a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Maharashtra’s Malvan, Mr. Gandhi unveiled an equestrian bronze statue of the Maratha warrior king, which is 20 feet tall. The statue weighs around 2,000 kilograms.

“While we inaugurate the statue, we must not fight over it, and try to follow what they fought for,” said Mr. Gandhi.

“The Constitution of India came into being from what Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj thought. If you are talking about Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, then you must respect the Constitution,” the Congress leader said as he held up a copy of the red Constitution book.

He advised Congress workers to protect the thought of Shivaji Maharaj. “The Congress party is fighting with the same thought that Shivaji Maharaj fought for... Shivaji Maharaj derived his thoughts from the people of Maharashtra,” he said. “The Shivaji statue that collapsed is a message that you must protect his thinking”.

Mr. Gandhi is in Kolhapur ahead of the Assembly elections in the State, scheduled for later this year.

The visit to western Maharashtra, in the powerful sugar belt of the State, is crucial as Kolhapur is also the seat of the Chhatrapati, the birthplace of Rajarshi Shahu Maharaj, who had played a pivotal role in Maharashtra’s social reform movement. Rahul Gandhi is also slated to hold a Samvidhan Sammelan on Saturday.