During an event in Palghar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued an apology to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, calling him his "deity," after the collapse of the 35-foot statue of the Maratha king at Sindhudurg's Rajkot Fort. The statue, unveiled by PM Modi eight months ago, collapsed on August 26 due to strong winds, causing embarrassment for Maharashtra’s ruling Mahayuti alliance ahead of upcoming elections.

PM Modi expressed his deep regret, saying, "Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is our deity. Today, I bow my head at his feet and apologize to him and to all those hurt by this incident." His statement came amid growing outrage in Maharashtra, where Shivaji Maharaj holds a revered status, making the statue collapse a politically sensitive issue.

While addressing the incident, PM Modi also took aim at the opposition, accusing them of hypocrisy. "Some people keep abusing Veer Savarkar but are not ready to apologize for insulting him," he remarked.

The ruling alliance, led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, has faced internal pressure, with the NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) voicing protests over the incident. CM Shinde, during a previous statement, vowed that if needed, he would not hesitate to apologize to Shivaji Maharaj multiple times for the mishap.

In addition to addressing the statue collapse, PM Modi laid the foundation stone for the Vadhvan Port in Palghar, a major infrastructure project with an estimated cost of Rs 76,000 crore. Modi highlighted the port’s potential as one of the world’s largest in terms of depth and its capacity to handle more containers than any other Indian port. The project is expected to create 12 lakh jobs and attract significant investments to Maharashtra.