Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday used a rally in Maharashtra to tender an apology to Chhatrapati Shivaji and those hurt by the collapse of the Maratha king’s statue that has snowballed into a political issue in the poll-bound state.

The 35ft statue of Shivaji at Rajkot fort in coastal Sindhudurg district had been inaugurated by Modi on Navy Day in December to honour the maritime security legacy of the Maratha ruler.

“As soon as I came to Maharashtra today, the first thing I did was to bow my head at the feet of my revered deity, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, and ask for forgiveness,” Modi told a rally in Palghar after laying the foundation stone of a port project.

“I also seek forgiveness from those who worship Shivaji Maharaj for what happened in Sindhudurg a few days ago,” he added.

Modi, however, slammed the Opposition for not coming up with a similar apology for insulting V.D. Savarkar, who hails from the state. “Our values are different. For us, nothing is bigger than our deity. Some people keep abusing Veer Savarkar but are not ready to apologise for insulting him,” he said.

The fall of the statue has triggered a political row in the state with the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi accusing the ruling coalition of corruption and favouritism in a bid to draw mileage ahead of the polls.

The Eknath Shinde government, of which the BJP is the largest partner, initially sought to wash its hands off by saying the statue had been constructed by the navy and it collapsed because of strong winds.

As the Opposition sought to turn the statue’s collapse into an election issue, the ruling partners rushed to control the damage. Chief minister Shinde and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis of the BJP said they were ready to apologise 1,000 times for the collapse. The state government announced a joint technical committee headed by the navy to investigate the reasons behind the collapse.

Modi sought to use his unconditional apology to undo the political damage.

The BJP and its partners apprehend a tough ride in retaining power in the state given the results of the Lok Sabha polls. The ruling coalition (Shiv Sena-BJP-NCP) could win just 17 of the 48 Lok Sabha seats.

Addressing the rally in Palghar, Modi tried his best to connect with the voters, stressing that his government was devoted to the development of the state.

“A developed Maharashtra is an essential part of the resolve for a developed India,” he said, referring to different projects his government had given to the state.

He said his government was working with “complete dedication and honesty”
for the welfare of OBCs, women and other marginalised communities.