The statue honoring <br />Vallabhbhai Pate, India's <br />first deputy prime minister, <br />was unveiled Wednesday. The 597-foot steel and bronze <br />"Statue of Unity" is twice the <br />size of the Statue of Liberty. It is located in Prime Minster <br />Narendra Modi's home state of Gujarat. The $400 million project was <br />funded by the federal government, <br />state-run companies and other institutions. The 33-month endeavor <br />was ordered to commence <br />when Modi was Gujarat chief minister. Wednesday was Patel's birthday, <br />also known as National Unity Day. Prime Minsister Narendra Modi Some people have criticized <br />Modi for the large expense, since the indigenous people who <br />farm the land acquired for the <br />project protested against it.
