Pune: The Swarajya Party, under the leadership of its president and former MP Sambhaji Raje, has announced a campaign to search for the much-anticipated Shri Chhatrapati Shivaji Memorial (Shiv Smarak) in the Arabian Sea.
The memorial was promised by both the central and state governments but has seen no progress since its announcement. The campaign is set to begin on Sunday, with party workers set to march to Mumbai to demand answers regarding the memorial's status.
In a press conference held in Pune, Sambhaji Raje expressed his concerns about the lack of development regarding the memorial. He recalled how the central and state governments had grandly announced the construction of an international-level Shiv Smarak, and in 2016, the Prime Minister had even laid the foundation stone during a ceremony in Mumbai.
"The timing of this event, held during the Mumbai municipal elections, makes it seem as though it was merely a political stunt," said Raje.
"Since then, no significant progress has been made, and neither the central nor the state government is willing to provide any updates."
Sambhaji Raje also criticized the previous coalition government in Maharashtra for their inaction on the project. He believes that this negligence reveals a disturbing pattern, where political leaders from both ruling and opposition parties manipulate the sentiments of the public,
especially Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's followers, using his name for election purposes without any real intent to deliver.
