Bad News! Gateway of India in Mumbai Closed for Visitors Until Further Notice

Mumbai: One of the most beloved tourist sites in the country, the Gateway of India in Mumbai will remain shut for visitors until further notice; the ban on visiting the iconic site has begun today.

Gateway of India Shut for Visitors Until Further Notice

The Gateway of India in Mumbai has been banned for visitors starting 10 am today, September 1. The monument will remain closed until further notice.

This step has been taken in view of the protests being staged in Mumbai, against the collapse of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue in Sindhudurg. 

Maha Vikas Aghadi Holds Protest Against Shivaji Statue Collapse

Leaders of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi on Sunday held a march from the iconic Hutatma Chowk to Gateway of India in south Mumbai to protest against the collapse of a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Maharashtra's Sindhudurg district.

They slammed the Union and state governments for the collapse, with Uddhav Thackeray calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi's apology as one "smacking of arrogance", while Sharad Pawar said the episode was an example of corruption.

Addressing a gathering at Gateway of India, where the protest march culminated, Thackeray said, "Did you notice the arrogance in the (Prime Minister Narendra Modi's) apology? It smacked of arrogance. One deputy chief minister was smiling." Asserting that people of Maharashtra will never forgive the insult to the legendary warrior king, Thackeray cited the statue collapse, leakages in the Ram Temple and the new Parliament complex to mock Modi's "guarantees".

Chhatrapati Shivaji Statue Collapse: PM Apologises

During his address in Palghar on Friday, PM Modi had said Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is not just a name or a king but a deity.

"Today, I bow my head at his feet and apologise to my deity," he had said.

The statue of the 17th century Maratha warrior king at Rajkot fort in Malvan tehsil, some 480 kilometres from here, fell on August 26. It was unveiled by PM Modi on December 4, 2023, on the occasion of Navy Day.

(Inputs from PTI)