Narmada: Prime Minister Modi unveiled the statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, called the Statue of Unity, amid grand fanfare on Wednesday.
Just as aircraft showered confetti on the 182 metres tall statue, Prime Minister dedicated the grand memorial to the nation on the 143rd birth anniversary of Patel.
Also called India’s Bismarck, Patel played key role in unifying the nation post-British period.
"It was Sardar Patel who unified the country. If not for Sardar Patel, we would've needed visas to see the lions of Gir, or visit the Somnath temple and Charminar... No one would have even thought of a direct train from Kashmir to Kanya Kumari", PM Modi said
PM Modi, however, refrained from making any political comments and focused largely on Sardar Patel’s contribution to the nation.
The statue is almost double the size of Statue of liberty in the US, and four times the size of Christ the Redeemer in Brazil.
Built at a cost of Rs 2,989 crore, the statue invited protests from tribal groups and farmers. Earlier, chiefs of 22 villages signed a letter requesting Modi to stay away from the inauguration.