Shinde govt under fire for removing Holkar, Phule statues in Delhi

Opposition parties criticised the Ekanth Shinde-led Maharashtra government for displacing the statues of Ahilyabai Holkar and Savitribai Phule—two of Maharashtra’s most iconic and inspirational women—at the Maharashtra Sadan in New Delhi, in order to make room for photos of V.D. Savarkar for his 140th birth anniversary celebrations on May 28.

Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis were present at the celebration at Maharashtra Sadan.

The NCP (Nationalist Congress Party) held protests in Mumbai on Monday, May 30, against the removal of the statues and demanded an apology for disrespecting Phule and Holkar.

"It is of extreme concern that the statues of Krantijyoti Savitribai Phule and Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar were removed in front of the chief minister and deputy chief minister. We do not oppose organising a programme [for] Savarkar, but what was the need to remove the statues of these two great women?" NCP state president Jayant Patil said to the Indian Express.

"The government has insulted these two great icons who are a source of inspiration to the entire society. This is infuriating, especially since it happened in front of the chief minister and the deputy chief minister. They must apologise to the people of the state for this," Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee president Nana Patole told IANS.

"BJP feels it can do anything on the basis of numerical strength, but the incident at Maharashtra Sadan has resulted in condemnation and backlash among the masses, with debates on social media networks," Patole added.

The administration at New Delhi's Maharashtra Sadan seem to have gone on the back foot after protesters hit the streets in Mumbai against the removal of the statues of Holkar, a reformist Maratha ruler, and Phule, a pioneer of women's education in the country, who was earlier insulted by former Maharashtra governor Bhagatsingh Koshiyari.

Over the past two days, the NCP has also been protesting against two websites for alleged objectionable articles on Phule.

The protests may have led chief minister Eknath Shinde to now say that Ahmednagar, the Adilshahi capital in western Maharashtra, will now be renamed Ahilyanagar — triggering yet more communal polarisation within the state ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in 2024.

The move has also led to a head-on confrontation between the BJP and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) over the past two days. The state government is yet to respond to the flak from the Opposition leaders.

With inputs from Sujata Anandan