Maha: Opp disrupts proceedings in Assembly on statue issue

The opposition today disrupted the proceedings in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, demanding installation of a statue of Shivaji off Mumbai coast as per the original plans. Displaying fake swords and wearing pagdis (traditional Maharashtrian headgear), MLAs trooped into the well and climbed onto Speaker's podium shouting "Jai Bhawani, Jai Shivaji".

Shiv Sena's Sanjay Gavande picked up Speaker's mace as well, as Deputy Speaker Vasant Purke was in the chair. Immediately thereafter, Speaker Dilip Walse-Patil took over, and repeatedly directed the opposition MLAs to go back to their seats, but he was not heeded. The situation forced him to adjourn the house for one hour. Yesterday, members of Sena-BJP and other opposition parties had criticised the Congress-NCP government for failing to procure environmental clearances for the statue, proposed to be put up in the sea (on the lines of Statue of Liberty in USA), as per its election promise.

The opposition took exception to Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's statement that Government was looking for an alternative offshore site as Union Ministry of Environment and Forests was yet to accord the required permissions. However, Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan later stated in the house yesterday that the Centre had not denied permission, and he was pursuing the matter with the concerned minister.