The statue honoring
Vallabhbhai Pate, India's
first deputy prime minister,
was unveiled Wednesday. The 597-foot steel and bronze
"Statue of Unity" is twice the
size of the Statue of Liberty. It is located in Prime Minster
Narendra Modi's home state of Gujarat. The $400 million project was
funded by the federal government,
state-run companies and other institutions. The 33-month endeavor
was ordered to commence
when Modi was Gujarat chief minister. Wednesday was Patel's birthday,
also known as National Unity Day. Prime Minsister Narendra Modi Some people have criticized
Modi for the large expense, since the indigenous people who
farm the land acquired for the
project protested against it.