Sardar Patel's 'aura' lost in Statue of Unity, allege family members

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ambitious project to build the world's tallest statue of freedom fighter Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel runs into trouble with the latter's family raising objections to the face of the statue's replicas.

The 597 feet tall statue of Patel - the Statue of Unity -is planned to be built near the Sardar Sarovar Dam in Gujarat.

So far, two replicas of the proposed statue have been made, but Patel's associates and family members have rejected them saying the face does not match the freedom fighter.

They say certain anatomical changes suggested to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Rashtriya Ekta Trust (SVPRET), which has been formed to implement the project, have not been incorporated.

Sardar's descendants, acquaintances and villagers of his ancestral town Karamsad in Anand district of Gujarat have expressed strong dissatisfaction with the statue and they feel that the statue which is being constructed in no way reflects the aura that the country's Iron Man exuded.

"Sardar Patel's face was not like as it should be, we were not satisfied with it. The brilliance of Sardar Patel's face could not be seen in it. If Narendra Modi is doing such a great work then why should there be any flaw in it. We have spoken to the authorities and they have assured that they will improve on it," said Bhupendra Patel, the great grandson of Patel.

The order for the project was given to engineering major Larsen and Toubro (L-T) and renowned sculptor and Padma Shree award winner Ram V. Sutar has been roped in for the construction of the statue.

"We think the statue which they are making needs some modification. We have informed Ram Sutar and all other technical persons involved in the process about it. We have suggested them to see the statue of Patel located in Vijayanagar, made by Gandhibhai to get a real picture of Sardar," said Hasmukh Bhai Patel, trustee of Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel Trust.