A joint technical committee, headed by the Indian Navy and comprising representatives from the Maharashtra government and technical experts, is being formed to investigate the collapse of the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj installed at Rajkot Fort, Sindhudurg.

The damage to the statue, conceptualised and steered by the Indian Navy in coordination with State government, which also provided funding for it, was subsequent to the exceptional weather conditions in the region, the maritime force said in a statement on Thursday.

The statue was unveiled on December 4, 2023, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as part of the Navy Day celebrations which took place for the first time in Sindhudurg. It was aimed at honouring the legacy of the Maratha Navy and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj towards maritime defence and security and its historical linkage with the modern Indian Navy.

The Indian Navy said it remains committed to assisting in all measures to repair, restore and reinstate the statue at the earliest.

Late on Wednesday night, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde held a meeting of top officials of the State government and the Indian Navy.

The collapse of the statue has sparked off a political slugfest, with Opposition accusing the State government of corruption and insulting the Maratha warrior king.

However, the State, which has ordered a probe into collapse of the statute, has been saying that it was designed and constructed by the Navy.

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