Opponents of Statue of Unity have political motives: leader of displaced of Narmada project Tadvi, who was part of year long relay fast

Rajpipala: Amid the incidents of protests and damaging of hoardings pertaining to Statue of Unity in and around Narmada district in Central Gujarat, Jiku Tadvi, a prominent face among displaced of Narmada project who was part of an year long relay fast near the site of the Sardar Sarovar dam today said that the original displaced people in and around Kevadia have no problem and those opposing the unveiling of the world’s tallest statue have political motives.
Tadvi today said that when he and other displaced had ended relay fast in July last year, the government agreed to take up the 27 point demands.

He said that the government has kept its promises and advanced fairly in the direction of fulfilling most of it.

‘Those opposing the statue of unity now looked nowhere when its work begun 3 years ago. Now when the 182 ft tall statue was compete, any opposition of it was futile. It is the statue of Sardar Patel who along with Gandhiji has done so much for the freedom of the country and after that for the countrymen. No one can oppose such a personality. This project is for the development of our area and prosperity of local tribal people whom the government has promised jobs and other facilities,’ he said.

He also said that the protestors were spreading lies. ‘No body has been bribed. Government has issued circular about compensation and every thing was in open,’ Tadvi said.

Notably, PM Narendra Modi, who as the then CM of Gujarat in 2010 first announced the project for which actual work begun in April 2015, would unveil it on October 31 and dedicate it to the nation. Situated on Sadhu Bet around 3 km from Kevadia, around 190 km from Ahmedabad, the statue of Iron-man of India Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, is twice as high as the statue of liberty of New York and will left behind the iconic Spring Field Buddha of China (152m) to become the tallest statue in the world after its formal unveiling.

DeshGujarat