MUMBAI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said that the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj collapsed days after its installation in Malwan as it was erected by those opposed to his true ideology.Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, made the remarks at the Savidhan Sanman sammelan after unveiling the full-sized statue of Chhatrapati in Kolhapur.“We should at least imbibe some of the principals Shivaji Maharaj stood, fought and lived for. He accomplished great deeds by uniting people of all castes and religions and fighting against injustice. Ch. Shivaji Maharaj’s ideals and ideas are truly reflected in the Constitution of India,” said the Congress MP, adding if it weren’t for Shivaji Maharaj and Rajarshi Shahu Maharaj, the Constitution wouldn’t exist.He said there are two ideologies in the country — one that unites the nation and works, while the other (referring to RSS-BJP) is against the Constitution and aims to destroy it. “This second type of ideology instills fear in the peoples’ minds. Those who follow this ideology may bow before Shivaji Maharaj, but they do not follow his true ideals and principles. This same ideology tried to put hurdles in Shivaji Maharaj’s coronation (Rajyabhishek). They built a statue of him, but it collapsed within a few days. This is not a political battle, but a battle of ideas,” Gandhi said.Dalits, backward classes, and marginalized groups are not given enough opportunities in industries, businesses, or courts. “Due to the privatization of government institutions, reservations are being eliminated. To change this situation, it is crucial to protect the Constitution, for which the first step would be removal of 50% cap on reservations. The INDIA alliance will remove this cap and pass caste-based census legislation in Parliament,” he stated.Underscoring the significance of caste-based census, he said, “A caste-based census is like an X-ray, which will identify the problems of various communities and help find solutions.”
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