In remarks that are bound to generate controversy, the amount of money spent on construction of the ‘Statue Of Unity’ has been criticized by British Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) Peter Bone. Calling attention to the fact that India had received over £1 billion in aid from Britain between 2012 and 18, Bone dubbed the money spent on the construction of the statue as “total nonsense.”
Bone told the Daily Mail, “To take £1.1billion in aid from us and then at the same time spend £330 million on a statue is total nonsense and it is the sort of thing that drives people mad. What it proves is that we should not be giving money to India. It is up to them how they spend their money but if they can afford this statue, it is clearly a country we should not need to be giving aid to.”
The statue whose construction took 56 months since being commissioned in 2012 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi — then chief minister of Gujarat — has attracted criticism from several corners, including farmers and tribal folk in Kevadiya, where the statue has been built. Prior to its inauguration by the PM on October 31, the village-heads of 22 villages had written to the PM stating he was not welcome in Kevadiya on account of the destruction of the flora and fauna brought about because of the statue’s construction.
The letter mentioned, “These forests, rivers, waterfalls, land and agriculture supported us for generations. We survived on them. But, everything is being destroyed now and celebrations are also planned. Don’t you think it’s akin to celebrating someone’s death? We all villagers want to tell you with extreme grief that we will not welcome you on October 31. Even if you come here like an unwanted guest, you are not welcome here.”
The statue, of India’s first Deputy Prime Minister Sardar Vallabhai Patel is said to be the world’s tallest, standing at 182 metres (almost 600 feet) and cost around Rs. 2,989 crores to build.