Pandharpur, Mar 29 (PTI) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday said that a decision on the dog’s memorial near that of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Raigad Fort would be taken after thorough consultation.
“The Holkars (of the Maratha dynasty) contributed financially to this memorial. It has been there for several years. There is no need to create controversy over every issue,” he said.
Fadnavis said they will proceed with the matter after detailed consultation.
Former Rajya Sabha member and Kolhapur royal family descendant Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati has urged the CM to remove the dog’s statue located near Shivaji Maharajt’s samadhi at the historical site.
In a letter to the chief minister over the memorial, he recently wrote, “There is no documentary evidence concerning Waghya, the name of the pet dog of Shivaji Maharaj. As there is no such evidence, it is an encroachment on the fort, which is legally preserved as a heritage structure.”