Removal of Shivaji Maharaj statue: BJP pans role of Congress MLA, dares Sena to protest

Condemning the overnight removal of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's statue in Karnataka's Mangutti village, BJP MLA Ashish Shelar held Congress MLA Satish Jarikholi responsible for this incident. While maintaining that BJP will not tolerate such an insult, he questioned Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on whether he would protest against the aforesaid MLA. At present, Congress is a part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra. 

Shelar urged the BJP government in Karnataka to re-install the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj with due respect. Incidentally, Satish's brother Ramesh Jarikholi is the Water Resources Minister in the BS Yediyurappa-led Karnataka government and in-charge of Belagavi, the district in which the incident took place. There has been a longstanding dispute between Maharashtra and Karnataka over the status of predominantly Marathi-speaking regions such as Belagavi. 

Ashish Shelar remarked, "We definitely condemn the overnight removal of the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Mangutti in Karnataka. Nobody should insult Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in such a manner anywhere in the country and we will not let it happen. The local Congress MLA Satish Jarikholi had adopted the stance of removing the statue. Our question to Sanjay Raut is- will you stage a protest against Congress' Satish Jarikholi? No permission is required for a protest regarding Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Please answer why you require permission for a protest from the Leader of Opposition? We request the Karnataka government to re-install the statue at the same place with due honour. Shiv Sena should definitely stage a protest- but it should answer whether the protest will be against Satish Jarikholi or not."

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Raut challenges Devendra Fadnavis

On Saturday, Maharashtra Minister Eknath Shinde wrote to the Karnataka CM informing him about the removal of a life-size statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Mangutti village. Shinde alleged that the administration had deliberately removed the statue despite being approved by the Gram Panchayat. He not only demanded strict action against the responsible officers but also sought the reinstatement of the statue.

Earlier in the day, Sena MP Sanjay Raut claimed that nobody from Maharashtra's opposition party BJP was ready to talk about this incident. Mentioning the fact the Prime Minister Narendra Modi had paid respects to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Ayodhya on August 5, he lamented that the BJP government in Karnataka had removed the statue. On this occasion, he expressed willingness to agitate in Belagavi under the leader of former Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis, if the latter was ready to protest against his party's government. 

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