Prime Minister Narendra Modi will today unveil the 182-metre giant ‘Statue of Unity’ as a “special tribute” to the ‘Iron Man of India’, Sardar Vallabhabhi Patel on his 143rd birth anniversary. The Sardar Patel statue, twice as tall as the Statue of Liberty, has been built at a cost of Rs. 2,989 crore and is located in Gujarat, 3.2 km downstream of the Narmada dam.
A cultural programme was organised at the venue for the PM, following which he is taking a walk through the tent city. BJP chief Amit Shah has also arrived for the unveiling ceremony. Before reaching Gujarat in a chopper, PM Modi tweeted, “We bow to the great Sardar Patel, the stalwart who unified India and served the nation tirelessly, on his Jayanti.” He also paid tribute to former PM Indira Gandhi on her death anniversary.