PM Modi on Wednesday, 31 October, unveiled Sardar Patel's 'Statue of Unity' on the banks of the river Narmada in Gujarat's Kevadiya.
Addressing the nation after the inauguration, Modi said that the day will be remembered in the history of India.
“Events like today are very important in a country's history and such events are difficult to erase. It is a historic and inspiring occasion for all Indians. I am fortunate to dedicate this statue of Sardar Sahab to the nation,” he said.
He also slammed the Opposition for politicising the issue and said that remembering heroes of the nation is not a crime.
- Touted as the world’s tallest statue, the project has been completed in a record 33 months
- The statue has been built using over 70,000 tonnes of cement, 18,500 tonnes of reinforcement steel, 6,000 tonnes of structural steel and 1,700 metric tonnes of bronze
- The foundation stone of the statue was laid by PM Modi on 31 October 2013
- Local tribal leaders allege that resources were wasted on the Statue of Unity
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Patel Never Wanted to Divide People: Mamata's Jibe at Modi
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday, 31 October, used the occasion of the unveiling of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's statue in Gujarat to hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the nationalist leader never wanted to divide people, but always worked for their unity.
"Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel never indulged either in caste politics or politics based on religion. The great leader never wanted to divide the people, rather he always worked for their unity," Banerjee said.
"Sardar Patel also asked all leaders to look upon all the people equally, without any discrimination," she said, while accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of dividing people on the basis of religion and caste, instead of working for their welfare.
(PTI)
BJP, RSS Should Apologize After Criticizing BSP For Statues: Mayawati
Hours after the inauguration of a Rs 3,000-crore statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in Gujarat, BSP president Mayawati demanded an apology from those who had flayed her over the statues of Dalit leaders her government had installed in Uttar Pradesh.
“All those in the BJP, the RSS and company need to apologise, especially to the people of the Bahujan Samaj, for terming the statues installed by the then BSP government to honour icons like Baba Saheb Ambedkar and others as wasteful expenditure," she said in a statement.
'Statue of Unity' Befitting Tribute to Sardar Patel, Say His Family Members
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's family members on Wednesday hailed the 'Statue of Unity' as a "befitting tribute" to the 'Iron Man of India', saying it would help the younger generation know about his life and it should have been done much earlier by the previous governments.
“Congress didn’t do anything like this for Sardar Patel. The statue is a befitting tribute to his contribution to the nation.”Dhirubhai Patel, Grandson of Sardar Patel’s Brother Somabhai
(PTI)
Congress Should be Ashamed for Having Ignored Sardar Patel: Ram Vilas Paswan
The Congress party should be ashamed for having ignored the legacy of Sardar Patel despite being in power for so long, Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said on Wednesday, 31 October.
“Patel dedicated his whole life to the unity and integrity of the country. But his legacy certainly was ignored in the history of independent India.”Ram Vilas Paswan, Union Minister
(ANI)