MP CM Kamal Nath announces grand Shivaji statue after backlash; son will fund expenditure

After facing huge backlash over the removal of the bust of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath on Thursday assured that a grand and attractive statue of the great Maratha king would be installed in Sausar soon.

Stressing that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is the pride of the nation, he decried the fact that his bust was installed at night in a surreptitious manner. He claimed that this was an attempt to disturb the social harmony of the area. Moreover, his son and Chhindwara MP Nakul Nath announced that he would fund the entire expenditure of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue to be unveiled in a grand ceremony.  

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The controversial removal of the bust

The controversy started when a bust of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was allegedly removed in an insensitive manner by the local authorities in Chhindwara on Wednesday. Initially, some organizations had appealed to the municipal authorities to install a statue of the great Maratha king. As there was an apparent delay in the installation of the statue, the concerned organizations themselves erected a platform at the site and placed the bust of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj on Monday. Subsequently, the Additional District Magistrate of Chhindwara defended the removal of the bust. He stated that the organizations did not have the requisite permission.  

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Former CM reacts

Former MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan took immediate cognizance of this incident. He called upon Kamal Nath to apologise and facilitate the re-installation of the statue. Furthermore, Chouhan questioned the stance of Shiv Sena, which is in power with Congress in Maharashtra.  

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