Modi to lay foundation stone of Sardar Patel statue tomorrow

After the public spat over the legacy of Sardar Patel between Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Modi will lay the foundation stone for the statue tomorrow.

Modi wrote on his blog today that "Sardar Patel's birth anniversary would be even more special because we (Gujarat government) are going to lay the foundation stone of the Statue of Unity".

"At a height of 182 metres, 'the State of Unity' would be among the tallest statues in the world, celebrating and paying tributes to the Iron Man of India. It would be situated at Sadhu Bet, which is close to the Sardar Sarovar Dam," he wrote.

"The statue is being built through the PPP model, using the latest technology. A few months ago, I had appealed to my farmer sisters and brothers from all over India to contribute their iron tools they used in farming to build the statue.

After all, Sardar Patel was not only a Loh Purush (Iron Man) but also a Kisan Putra (son of a farmer). I once again appeal to everyone to support us in this endeavour," Modi wrote in his blog.

The inauguration of the Sardar Patel museum yesterday, virtually turned into a debate between the Prime Minister and Modi over claim to the legacy of Patel, independent India's first Home Minister.

Narendra Modi had said that India's "fate and face" would have been different had Sardar Patel been its first prime minister, while Prime Minister Manmohan Singh reminded the BJP's PM candidate of the 'Iron Man's' "secular outlook".

"Sardar Patel is the architect of modern India. Overcoming various obstacles, he integrated the entire nation and today, if we can celebrate our unity, it is due to the efforts of Sardar Patel," Modi wrote.