Ahmedabad: Narendra Modi will today inaugurate the construction of what he bills as the world’s biggest statue – a 182-metre iron and bronze structure being built at a cost of Rs. 2074 crore to honour India’s “iron man” Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his 138th birth anniversary.
The statue is to be built on an island called Sadhu Bet on the river Narmada in Gujarat, the home state of both Sardar Patel and Mr Modi. Twice the size of the Statue of Liberty in the US, it is seen as a not-so-subtle bid by Mr Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party to appropriate the legacy of Sardar Patel, who was associated with the ruling Congress.
The inauguration has been preceded by a fierce battle for that legacy between the BJP and the Congress.
Mr Modi has used his ambitious project to undermine his chief rivals, the Gandhi-Nehru political dynasty that heads the Congress. Sardar Patel was first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s deputy and his Home Minister, but often at odds with him.
At a public function on Tuesday, Mr Modi said, “Every Indian regrets Sardar Patel did not become the first Prime Minister. Had he been the first Prime Minister, the country’s fate and face would have been completely different.”
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who too was present retorted, “I am proud and happy that I belong to a political party to which Sardar Patel was attached. Sardar Patel was totally secular, and believed in the unity of India.”
This morning the Congress’ Digvijaya Singh tweeted, “Sardar-Humility personified ! Modi-Conceit and Arrogance personified Sardar -United India Modi-Divides NDA BJP and Hindus and Minorities.”
Mr Singh also tweeted, “Today we commemorate Birth Anniversary of India’s ‘Iron Man’ Sardar Patel and Death Anniversary of Indiraji popularly known as ‘Iron Lady.'”
Also on Twitter, the Biju Janata Dal’s Jay Panda baited the Congress with, “Check size/nmbr of ads 2day for Sardar Patel & a late PM’s birth/death annivs: you’ll see y parties he didnt belong2 think he’s up for grabs.”
Senior BJP leader LK Advani, who represents Gujarat in the Lok Sabha, is the chief guest for today’s function. Union Commerce Minister Anand Sharma did not accept Mr Modi’s invitation to attend and sent a scathing RSVP accusing the BJP leader of “misusing the name of Sardar for political propaganda.”