Maha BJP MLA installs Shivaji statue without permission, held

A BJP MLA and over 40 supporters were arrested for installing a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji without permission in Maharashtra's Jalna district, police said.

Badnapur BJP MLA Narayan Kuche and his supporters brought the statue of the revered warrior-king to Pachod Road in the district's Ambad town in the early hours of Friday and had installed it after which police was alerted, an official said.

A team led by deputy superintendent of police CD Shivgan and local inspector Anirudh Nandedkar rushed to the spot to stop the unauthorised installation and to ensure the issue did not flare-up, the official added.

The statue has not been removed from the spot and further action would be taken after consultation with civic and district authorities, he added.

"They were arrested for the act and later released. The MLA did not have permission from authorities to install the statue," said sub-inspector Sugarve Chate of Ambad police station.

Kuche defended his act claiming the Ambad Municipal Council had earlier passed a resolution to install the statue and he was doing so due to public demand.