Mumbai, Aug 28 (IANS): Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Wednesday demanded the sacking of Maharashtra Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar for his bizarre remarks that the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue crash in Rajkot Fort of Sindhudurg “may have been the wish of the legendary Maratha warrior-king.”

“Kesarkar is the son of Afzal Khan. This (statue crash) is a big blow to the state’s self-respect. How can he speak irresponsibly on this?” demanded an irate Raut while speaking to mediapersons.

His reference was to the Minister’s remarks that “something good will come out of this bad incident”, adding that “perhaps, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj may have wished it to happen”, and that a 100-feet tall new statue would come up there, sparking a fresh row.

Raut demanded that Kesarkar should be kicked out of the Maharashtra Cabinet for making such insensitive utterances on the revered icon of the state.

Maratha leader and Shivba Sanghatana chief Manoj Jarange-Patil echoed similar sentiments and said he was aghast by the minister’s remarks, demanding he should be punished for it.

Reiterating that the statue fell because of huge corruption in awarding the contract worth crores of rupees, Raut said that there was “no justification for it to come down like this, ostensibly due to bad weather conditions in Malvan.”

“If, as the government is claiming, that statue crashed due to 45 knots wind speeds in that area, then how come the surrounding trees did not fall, or the roofs blow off peoples’ homes. Pratapgad Fort experiences winds of 120 kmph speed, but nothing crashes there,” countered Raut.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had said on Tuesday that the Malvan coastal area was lashed by winds blowing at speeds of 45 knots which may have brought down the statue – which was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi here on December 4, 2023.

In fact, the Public Works Department Assistant Engineer Malvan Division had shot off a warning letter to the Indian Navy’s Area Coastal Security Officer Commander Abhishek Karbhari on the precarious condition of the Chhatrapati’s statue on August 20, which crashed on August 26 in the Rajkot Fort at Sindhudurg district.

The 28-feet tall statue was erected on a 10-feet high pedestal, which stands around 12-15 from the ground level, giving a height of over 45 feet and visibility from long distances in the picturesque coastal village of Malvan, barely 3 kms away from the majestic Sindhudurg Fort in the Arabian Sea.

Following the furore, the Malvan Police have booked the Thane-based sculptor Jaydeep Apte and the structural consultant Chetan Patil of Kolhapur, who is reported to be absconding, as per local media reports.