Controversy Over Tantya Mama Statue in Khargone: Contractor Offers to Supply 1,000 Statues After Fiber Mix-Up

Khargone, January 17, 2026: A controversy has erupted in Khargone over the Tantya Mama statue, escalating from a material mix-up to contractor blacklisting and departmental investigations. The statue, intended to honor the revolutionary leader, was installed using fiber (FRP) instead of marble, sparking political and administrative outrage.

Municipal Action and Investigation
The Khargone Municipal Corporation has described the incident as a “human error” and promised to replace the statue with a new metal version. The contractor responsible has been blacklisted, and all engineers involved—including assistant engineers—are under departmental scrutiny. The previous tender has been canceled, and officials have directed the installation of a new metal statue within four months.

Cost and Timeline of the Replacement Statue
CMO Kamla Kaul stated that the original tender of ₹9.90 lakh has been canceled, and a new metal statue costing ₹15 lakh will be installed. She acknowledged that the statue was unveiled hastily, one day before Tribal Pride Day, without proper verification. District Collector Bhavya Mittal has ordered a strict inquiry into the matter.

Contractor Responds
The contractor, Naman Bhatt, received notices on November 18 and December 22 and has yet to be paid a single rupee. He offered to donate the statue and clarified that he would not accept any payment. He denied corruption allegations, stating that he spent nearly ₹9 lakh on the statue’s purchase, transportation, and installation, and that the supplier had provided the fiber statue without prior inspection. In a striking claim, he added that if such a statue were available for ₹50,000, he would be willing to order 1,000 statues.

Political Reaction
The Congress party sharply criticized the municipal authorities, calling the incident an “administrative cover-up.” District media in-charge Rajesh Mandloi alleged that attempts were being made to shield the guilty, warning that without public protest, the fiber statue could have been presented as marble. Congress has announced further demonstrations on January 17. Municipal Chairperson Chhaya Joshi defended the administration, saying the contractor admitted his mistake and was blacklisted, dismissing the political uproar as baseless.