Maharashtra government reduced the height of Shivaji statue, alleges Congress
What's the story
Maharashtra government has reduced the height of warrior Shivaji's statue, to be constructed off Mumbai coast, alleged opposition Congress party and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
NCP's Jayant Patil claimed that the statue's height has been decreased from 160 meters to 126 meters, including the pedestal.
However, the government maintained that it would be 210 meters tall, as planned.
Here are more details.
Design
Change in statue's design led to reduced height: Patil
The height of the statue has been decreased due to change in design, said Jayant Patil.
Senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan said since the design has been changed, so a fresh environmental clearance is also required.
However, NCP's Ajit Pawar wanted to know why the design was changed.
Pawar claimed that the BJP-led government was using the iconic king only to get votes.
Biggest
Shivaji's statue will be the biggest in the world: Mungantiwar
Discarding the allegations, the Maharashtra Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said the government will complete the project during its tenure, and the opposition should not politicise Shivaji.
"Chhatrapati Shivaji's statue will be the biggest in the world. It will be and remain 210 meters high. There is no need to create doubts. The issue is of our state's pride and identity," he said.