Flashback 2016: Shiv Sena miffed as BJP hijacks' Shivaji memorial

The Shivaji Memorial was this year's biggest political inauguration, with the BJP stealing the limelight for it. Even opposition parties criticised the BJP for hijacking the event from its allies. The BJP, in fact, miffed everyone to such an extent that ally Shiv Sena, too, opposed the party. Even leaders such as Vinayak Mete and Raju Shetti from other alliance parties weren't too happy with the way that the inauguration made it seem as if it was a BJP programme. Meanwhile, the cost the project escalated to as high as Rs 3,600 crore, which also caused a lot of fury. To counter this, right-wing leaders started sending out messages that the material being used to make the statue is the same as that used to make solar cells. This agenda-driven message was denied by the sculptor. The inauguration stage, however, was used by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to indirectly start the BJP's political campaign for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections.