Prime Minister Narendra Modi today unveiled the Statue of Unity, which at 182 metres is the tallest in the world, as a tribute to freedom icon Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his 143rd birth anniversary. Air Force planes showered flowers on the statue in a grand inaugural event on the banks of the Narmada river in Gujarat as PM Modi dedicated it to the nation. 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. Anticipating protests by locals who demand compensation for the land used for the enormous figure, thousands of police personnel were deployed ahead of the inauguration. "Today is a day that will be remembered in the history of India. No Indian will ever forget this day," PM Modi said, paying glowing tribute to Sardar Patel.
