Mumbai, August 29: In response to the incident involving the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Rajkot Fort in Malvan, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) organized a 'Self-Suffering Silent Protest' across Maharashtra, including prominent demonstrations in Mumbai. The protests come amid widespread outrage and demand for accountability following the incident that has hurt the sentiments of millions in the state.
On Wednesday, NCP's National President and Deputy Chief Minister, Ajit Pawar, extended a public apology to Maharashtra’s 13 crore citizens. A day later, the NCP staged silent protests at multiple locations. In Mumbai, key protest sites included the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Chembur and Juhu Chowpatty.
The Chembur protest was led by NCP state president MP Sunil Tatkare and Mumbai divisional president Sameer Bhujbal, with working president Narendra Rane taking the lead at Chembur. Meanwhile, working president Shivajirao Nalawade led the protest at Juhu Chowpatty. The protests saw participation from several key NCP leaders. Present at Chembur were state general secretary Santosh Dhuwali, state spokesperson Sanjay Tatkare, South Central Mumbai district president Siddharth Kamble, South Mumbai district president Mahendra Pansare, North Central Mumbai district president Arshad Amir, senior leader Bapu Bhujbal, state vice president Nandkumar Katkar, women’s working president Aarti Salvi, and state spokesperson Sana Malik Sheikh. At Juhu Chowpatty, the silent protest was supported by senior leader Dinkar Tawde, district president Ajay Vichare, and women’s working president Manisha Tupe, among others.
Concluding the protests, the NCP submitted a memorandum to the district collector demanding stringent action against those responsible for the statue incident. The NCP's silent protests highlight the party’s commitment to protecting the dignity of historical icons and addressing the sentiments of the people of Maharashtra.