IT Correspondent
Mumbai, Dec 4:
While President Ramnath Kovind is scheduled to visit the historic Raigad Fort located at Mahad in Maharashtra on Monday, some of the “Shiv Premis (those who are devoted to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj) have opposed construction of helipad to facilitate the landing of his helicopter, atop the fort.
One of the “Shiv Premis”, Siddesh Patkar, said that they are not opposed to the president’s visit but the helicopter raises a lot of dust while landing and taking off. The helicopter is being constructed next to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s statue at Holi Mal (flat area which was used to conduct combat exercises and also for Holi celebrations). Obviously the dust will be splashed when the helicopter lands. This is nothing but defiling of the statue. As such we will not allow the helicopter to land at Raigad Fort.
Earlier, a helipad was constructed on Raigad Fort to facilitate the landing of VVIPS on the fort. However it was removed in 1996 since the large amount of dust used to be thrown on the statue by the helicopters and one of the Shiv Bhaktas had undertaken a hunger fast in protest.
There are three statues of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Raigad Fort. The first and main statue is seated on the royal palace in Meghadambri. The second statue is at the Holi Mal. The third statue is at the Samadhi site.
In the meanwhile the police have shut the Raigad fort for five days in anticipation of agitation by the “Shiv Premis”. Raigad Superintendent of Police Ashok Dudhe passed an order to shut roads connecting the base of the fort, namely Mangaon-Gharoshiwadi and Nategaon-Pachad, on Friday.
