'Would not have collapsed if...': Nitin Gadkari on Shivaji Maharaj statue collapse

The 35-foot statue of the 17th-century Maratha warrior king collapsed on August 26

Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari said stainless steel should have been used for the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj which recently collapsed in Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg. The minister also underlined the significance of using rust-resistant materials for construction work in coastal areas.

Speaking at a FICCI event, Gadkari said, "Stainless steel should be used in the construction of bridges built close to the sea. If stainless steel had been used for the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji, it would have never collapsed.”

Expressing frustration over previous experiences with construction materials, Gadkari said he had pushed for stainless steel in coastal areas, but his earlier projects did not always adhere to this recommendation.

The minister said he was "fooled" while executing the construction of flyovers in the financial capital. "When I was executing the construction of 55 flyovers in Mumbai (as a Maharashtra minister), a person fooled me. He put some powder coating on iron rods and said those were rust-proof. But there was rusting. I believe that stainless steel should be used within 30 km of the sea," Gadkari said.

Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday alleged that "corruption" was the cause of the collapse of the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

"It was Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj who underlined the strategic importance of the sea, and built Sindhudurg and other sea forts. It was shocking to see that a statue, built only a few months ago and inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, collapsed," Pawar said at an event in Kagal in Kolhapur district where BJP leader Raje Samarjeet Ghatge joined NCP (SP).

The 35-foot statue of the 17th-century Maratha warrior king collapsed on August 26. The incident led to a flurry of accusations, with opposition leaders alleging a massive scam and demanding accountability from the state government. In response, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar issued public apologies.

The Sindhudurg police have issued a lookout notice for sculptor Jaydeep Apte, who has been missing for over a week following the statue's collapse.