National:  The statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj collapsed in Rajkot Fort of Sindhudurg, Maharashtra, due to which the leaders of Maha Vikas Aghadi took to the streets and held a shoe-hitting movement against the Mahayuti government on Sunday. Now, retaliating to this movement, the state's Deputy Chief Minister and NCP President Ajit Pawar has reacted. He said that the opposition should not do politics on the statue of Shivaji Maharaj.

Ajit Pawar said, "I want to say to those who threw shoes on my posters, apart from Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, that if you have the courage, come forward. I will also see." During the Jan Samman Yatra in Baramati on Monday, Ajit Pawar said that the statue of Shivaji Maharaj which collapsed should not have happened. For this, I, CM Shinde and Deputy CM Fadnavis, along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi  have apologized.

The Deputy Chief Minister said, "Our government and the Navy are investigating this matter, whoever is found guilty will be punished. But the opposition is unnecessarily blowing this matter out of proportion. They are now even carrying out a 'hit our posters with shoes' movement. Ajit Pawar said that if the opposition leaders have the courage, they should come in front of us. I will also see how they hit with shoes.