Mumbai: The opposition Congress on Monday blamed the state government for disrespecting statues of historical figures like Savitribai Phule and Ahilya Bai Holkar to celebrate Savarkar Jayanti at Maharashtra Bhavan in Delhi. However, the officials denied the charges saying that the statues are movable and shifting of the statues in the lobby is a common practice whenever any events or functions are organised there.
“Its a grave disrespect to Rajmata Ahilyadevi Holkar and Krantijyoti Savitribai Phule. They have been a source of inspiration for the society and the CM-DCM should apologise for this disrespect,” MPCC chief Nana Patole said on Monday.
BJP has anti-women mindset, alleges Congress
He also blamed the BJP for not respecting women and said that such things can happen only due to such an anti-women mindset. “The BJP had been trying to rewrite history by misusing power. The same thing must have happened at Maharashtra Sadan,” Patole added.
The issue came to fore when the two busts, generally seen in the lobby of the Maharashtra Sadan, were not seen in the photographs of the Savarkar Jayanti ceremony there which was attended by CM Eknath Shinde and DCM Devendra Fadnavis.
"Normal practice to move statues"
However, according to resident commissioner in charge of the Maharashtra Bhavan Niva Jain, it had been a normal practice to move the statues in the lobby a bit to make way for the events organized there.
“On the occasion of Veer Savarkar Jayanti celebration, the statues kept in the lobby of New Maharashtra Sadan were moved by 3-4 feet to the left and right hand side from their previous positions. In few photographs of the Jayanti event, the statues are not seen in the frame, which is being highlighted by some media persons as dishonoring the statues of great persons. The arrangements and setting of the lobby is made at every occasion to ensure that every statue of a great person is kept at a place where their honor is maintained,” Jain said in a statement.
