To mobilise support for Statue of Unity, a project conceptualised by BJPs prime ministerial candidate and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, his emissaries are working in Himachal Pradesh.
leading the delegation, Gujarat’s Minister of State for higher education and technical education, women and child development Vasuben Trivedi on Tuesday said that this project was not only an iron statue but also an emotional bond within the people of the country. “We request the farmers of the State to contribute their old iron tools which can be re-moulded and used in the statue,” she said, adding the sacred soil from all the famous temples and religious places would be collected.
A 11-member delegation comprising one parliamentarian and seven legislators are on a visit to the State for three days to mobilise people of Himachal Pradesh about this project. “This 182 metre tall Statue of Unity proposed to be built in Gujarat by the State Government is an attempt to portray the unity among Indians,” said Trivedi.
She said under this campaign a marathon-run for unity would be organised nationwide on the death anniversary of country’s first Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on December 15. “Under this campaign, a Run for Unity will be organised pan-India and an ‘essay competition’ for schools in every jurisdiction.
Trivedi said this project would be giving a boost to tourism sector in Gujarat. She clarified that concept of Statue of Unity was a non-political campaign and Narendra Modi had been working on this proposal for the last two years. Senior BJP MlA Jairam Thakur, who was heading the coordination committee in the state, said efforts were being made to spread the party cadre network to all 20,118 revenue villages and 3243 panchayats of the State.