Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel on Friday laid the foundation of world's tallest statue "Statue of Unity" of freedom fighter and leader Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel near River Narmada marking his 139th birth anniversary ime Minister Narendra Modi had last year launched the construction of the world's tallest statue, a Rs. 20,795.41 million project in honour of one of the country's founding fathers.
He launched the project to build the bronze-and-iron statue - which aims to be twice the height of the Statue of Liberty at 182 metres.
Anandiben Patel performed religious rituals before laying the foundation of the ambitious project.
"Today is an historical programme. In 2013 Narendra Modi was here talking about the "Statue of Unity". In this project we have a statue, a Shreshtha Bharat (Glorious India) building and bridges. Today we will lay the foundation of the Shreshtha Bharat (Glorious India) building and in four years we will complete the project of "Statue of Unity"," she said.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) credits Vallabhbhai Patel with using strong-arm tactics against the hundreds of princes who ruled parts of India at the time of independence to forge a united republic.
Many in Gujarat feel his legacy has been neglected by the once mighty Congress party.
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Prime Minister Modi seems bent on creating a nationalist symbol in Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel that strays away from the legacy of a dynasty that he blames for many of India's ills, including poverty and corruption.
Many have said that the statue, which will be built on a river island in Gujarat, will be a major global tourist attraction.