The unveiling of the statue of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj took place on Sunday evening in Belagavi’s Angol area, despite growing tensions. The ceremony was graced by Mayor Savita Kamble, Maharashtra’s Public Works Minister Shivendra Raje Bhosale, local MLA Abhay Patil, Deputy Mayor Anand Chavan, and thousands of BJP supporters.
A large procession, featuring over 1,500 women in saffron attire carrying poornakumbh, accompanied the event. The rally also included around 50 dhol and tasha troops and zanz pathaks, with several participants dressed as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, drawing significant attention. The entire procession was draped in saffron flags.
The Belagavi City Corporation (BCC) decided to unveil the statue after spending Rs 40 lakh on it. However, some local groups opposed the unveiling, citing incomplete work on the site. On Saturday evening, Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Roshan denied permission for the event due to concerns over law and order. But, under pressure from MLA Abhay Patil and BJP corporators, the DC reversed his decision late at night, permitting the unveiling with a limited crowd. Despite this, thousands of BJP supporters gathered for the ceremony.
In a tense development, followers of Ramakant Konduskar, leader of Sri Ram Sena Hindustan (SRS-H), removed the lighting and banners arranged around the statue shortly before the event, heightening the unrest. SRS-H had demanded a postponement, claiming the statue and surrounding structures were not ready and citing an ongoing court case. However, MLA Patil argued that all work was complete and challenged anyone to prove otherwise, accusing Congress of opposing the event due to their stance against the Hindu king.
District in-charge Minister Satish Jarkiholi supported the opposition, suggesting there was no harm in delaying the unveiling until the work was fully finished. Despite these objections, the event went ahead as planned.
The ceremony saw the presence of key Belagavi City Corporation members, including Vani Joshi, Abhijit Jawalkar, and Nitin Jadhav. Earlier in the day, Mayor Kamble and Deputy Mayor Chavan had urged police to remove barricades to ensure smooth conduct of the event, even as tensions with the district commissioner persisted.
Patil and Konduskar, long-standing political rivals, had clashed in previous elections, with Patil defeating Konduskar, a candidate of the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti.
