Kevadiya: Jammu & Kashmir former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today visited the Statue of Unity (SOU) and the Sardar Sarovar Dam on the Narmada river in Kevadiya.

“I had heard a lot about the Statue of Unity, but I never imagined it would be so magnificent until I saw it myself. You realise what it is, what has been built here when you see it. It is a true tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who is known as the Iron Man of India; it stands as a powerful symbol of New India,” Abdullah said.

Abdullah also praised the Gujarat government’s work in bringing water to the Rann of Kutch through the Narmada Dam, calling it a “true tribute” to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

Speaking to reporters after the visit, Abdullah said, “Now just imagine, through this dam, water is being delivered all the way to Kutch. Water is reaching those regions that once knew nothing but drought. Where there was only desert, farming is now flourishing. These kinds of developments change people’s lives. Unfortunately, in Jammu and Kashmir, we were never able to even conceive of such projects because we weren’t allowed to store water. Now that some restrictions under the Indus Waters Treaty have been lifted, there’s hope that in the future, Jammu and Kashmir will also see such projects, ensuring there is neither a shortage of electricity nor drinking water.”

It is noteworthy that Omar Abdullah has become the first major opposition leader to visit the world’s largest statue. Prominent Congress leaders including Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, and leaders from other parties like the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar), Samajwadi Party, and Shiv Sena have not visited the statue since it was inaugurated years ago to pay tribute to Sardar Patel, who was responsible for the integration of hundreds of princely states into one nation.

Earlier, in 2019, Prime Minister Modi had also invited Congress leaders to visit the SOU. “The biggest statue in the world is dedicated to Sardar Patel. I request the senior leaders of Congress to find time to visit the statue and pay homage to him. You owe him because he was your man,” Modi had told the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha. DeshGujarat