While launching the project, Modi had said, “Every Indian regrets Sardar Patel did not become the first prime minister. Had he been the first prime minister, the country’s fate and face would have been completely different.â€
Patel is often referred to as the “Iron Man of India†and widely acknowledged for coercing India’s princely provinces to join the Union of India, soon after independence in 1947. But, as Reuters wrote in 2013, “many in Gujarat feel Patel’s legacy has been neglected by the Congress party, and Modi has been quick to use that to his advantage.â€
In July 2014, the construction of the project was awarded to local infrastructure major Larsen & Toubro (L&T) after it bid the lowest among other companies. The project is expected to cost Rs3,000 crore ($770 million), making it one of the costliest statues in India.
“All details pertaining to project operations are internal to our company, and are bound by contracts with our clients,†L&T told Outlook. L&T is yet to respond to a questionnaire from Quartz.
Opposition parties have meanwhile mocked the government for outsourcing the statue to China.
“The Modi government, which talks of Make in India, has been unable to get the statue of Sardar Patel, the builder of modern India, built in the country,†Abhishek Manu Singhvi, a Congress party spokesperson, said.
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