PIL seeks scrapping of ?3,600 crore Shivaji statue
A Public Interest Litigation in  Bombay High Court seeks the scrapping of Maharashtra government's ?3,600 crore Shivaji statue project in the Arabian Sea. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation of 192-meter high statue last month. The PIL has been filed by Mohan Bhide, a chartered accountant and a professor by profession who runs Bhide Kapasi classes in Mumbai.
A Public Interest Litigation in  Bombay High Court seeks the scrapping of Maharashtra government's much touted Shivaji statue in Arabian Sea. Prime minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation of 192-meter high statue las month. The statue is expected to be built at the cost of Rs 3,600 crore.The PIL has been filed by Mohan Bhide, a chartered accountant and a professor by profession who runs Bhide Kapasi classes in Mumbai. Bhide in his petition states, "I have full respect and honour for Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. But I am against the huge expenditure of hard earned tax payers' money. The project of constructing a statue in the middle of the sea is nothing but a political stunt of all the political parties operating in Maharashtra." He added that the construction of the statue was "illogical and uncalled for".The petition asks for the project to be scrapped. Bhide's petition states that the government has spent Rs 77 crore on the inauguration ceremony when crores of money is needed for construction of the statue. This comes at a time when, "the government is itself facing financial crunch. Thus it is unnecessary. Last year the government declared drought in over 25,000 villages so the government should focus on addressing these issues first," the petition states.