Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi on Thursday laid the foundation stone of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's statue in Bharuch in Gujarat.
The proposed statue will be 182 metre tall and will be the tallest in the world. The total height from the base will be 240 metre, which includes base level of 58 metre.
It will be double the size of 'Statue of Liberty'. The 'Spring Temple Buddha' statue in China is the closest rival at a height of 153 metre. The project is set to be completed in two phases and the first phase is estimated to cost around Rs 2,000 crore. The statue will have steel framing, reinforced cement concrete and bronze coating.
The inauguration function was also attended by senior BJP leader L K Advani.
Here are highlights of what the two leaders said at the Statue of Unity launch event:
Narendra Modi: Gates have to be installed on Sardar Sarovar Dam. All 3 states of Maharashtra, MP and Gujarat have finished the rehabilitation work. And there are Congress and BJP governments here. Rajasthan and Gujarat need water. MP and Maharashtra need electricity. All Centre has to do is call a meeting and say gates can be installed. But for months nothing is happening. Reason is clear. There cannot be any politics on this. I am sure these voices will go to PM. He will realize that nation is bigger than parties. You come for the inauguration; I wont even come if you do not want me but please atleast do it.
Narendra Modi: We have to integrate the people of India. We have to integrate every shakti. Dharti is Gujarat's but dream in India's.
Narendra Modi: Our progress is not possible without Shanti, Ekta and Sadbhavana. Can the milk of a mother be divided. We built Mahatma Mandir but at that time did anyone challenge us and say, 'Modi, you are in BJP and Gandhi ji was never in BJP'? So then why this difficulty for Sardar Patel? Earlier ads ignored Patel but today there have been advertisements. This is the Gujarat effect.
Narendra Modi: PM said a very right thing. He said: 'Sardar Patel was truly secular. We also say we need Sardar Patel secularism not votebank secularism'. We need the secularism of Sardar Patel; he integrated and did not divide the nation. Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar is like a God for the Dalit community. No one asks which party he belonged to. His life inspires us.
Narendra Modi: Party can be any, our heart must be for the nation and for every great our nation has produced
Narendra Modi: To associate Sardar Patel with any party would be great injustice. Yes it was a part of his life we all accept that but his greatness. This is not because of Dam or because Sardar Patel was from Gujarat. The dream is much bigger. It will draw world to India. After Chanakya, if there was a Maha Purush who integrated the nation it is Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Were Maharana Pratap, Rajguru, Sukhdev BJP members? Will we only remember BJP members? Dal se Bada Desh Hota Hai
Narendra Modi: Mahatma Gandhi fought untouchability all his life but now there is political untouchability and we need to end this.
Narendra Modi: After so many years of Independence also we are in colonial mindset. Years ago, even the Budget was presented at 5 in the evening. Did anyone think why? Because when it was 5pm here it was around 11:30am there! It was when Vajpayee ji became PM that this 5 pm tradition was broken and it was presented in the morning.
Narendra Modi: After so many years of Independence also we are in colonial mindset. Years ago, even the Budget was presented at 5 in the evening. Did anyone think why? Because when it was 5pm here it was around 11:30am there! It was when Vajpayee ji became PM that this 5 pm tradition was broken and it was presented in the morning.
Narendra Modi:People from Rajasthan, they may be in BJP or Congress but they tell me -- Modiji aapne Narmada paani de diya. This was Sardar Patel's dream. See Kutch, there was negative growth, people were going away but we sent water and Kutch is developing
Narendra Modi: It was dream of Sardar Patel that this Sardar Sarovar dam and this water is going to Gujarat and other states. Water is very important. If we have to give substantial money for one sphere it is water. Sardar Sarovar Shilanyas was done by Pandit Nehru but we have spent more in last 10 years than previous governments
Advani: If Sardar Patel was not there, India would be badly divided into pieces. There would not be two but many divisions.
Advani: The independence struggle was not just under Gandhiji, Sardar Patel and other Congress leaders but many other freedom fighters. Chandrashekhar and Bhagat Singh were also a part of the freedom struggle. Everyone was honest and devoted towards the freedom struggle, only their ways were different.
Advani: People go to see Statue of Liberty but when they will know Narendra Modi has built this Statue of Unity, everyone will be proud.
