Overview

• Maharashtra Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal said the pedestal at Rajkot Fort developed a large hole less than a month after its May 11 inauguration.
• Sapkal argued the defect echoed last year’s collapse of the previous statue on August 26, 2024, and pointed to alleged corruption and poor construction.
• Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut supported the corruption claims by pointing to visuals showing ground cave-ins around the statue’s base.
• Sindhudurg Collector Anil Patil clarified that heavy rains caused the ground beneath the pedestal to settle and confirmed that the damage has been fixed.
• The ₹31.75 crore replacement statue was designed with IIT Mumbai and Ram Sutar’s firm using weather-resistant materials, is projected to last 100 years and carries a ten-year maintenance guarantee.