Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that a grand statue of great freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose will be installed at India Gate.
PM Modi announced that till the grand statue of Netaji is completed, a hologram statue of the late great freedom fighter would be installed near India Gate in the national capital. The prime minister said he will unveil Subhas Chandra Bose’s hologram statue on January 23, 2022, which is Netaji’s 125th birth anniversary.
“At a time when the entire nation is marking the 125th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, I am glad to share that his grand statue, made of granite, will be installed at India Gate. This would be a symbol of India’s indebtedness to him, the PM tweeted.
The dimensions of Netaji’s statue would be 28 feet X 6 feet.
The canopy earlier had a statue of Kind George 5th, which was removed in 1968. Some photos with the statue and after the statue were removed. Now Netaji’s statue will be put here at the canopy.
Canopy’s original top, with gilded Tudor Crown bearing Royal Cyphers of King George, were removed on May 12, 1958. In 1968, the statue of King George was removed, kept in store briefly and then moved to Delhi’s Coronation Park.
Retired Major General GD Bakshi also welcomed the Modi government’s decision, saying for decades Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s legacy has been ignored in this country.
Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh expressed immense happiness over PM Modi’s announcement of Netaji’s grand statue to be installed at India Gate.
“Netaji is an epitome of India’s true strength & resolve. Congress has left no stone unturned to forget the immortal contributions of India’s brave son. PM @narendramodi’s decision to install Netaji’s statue at India Gate on his 125th Jayanti will inspire our generations to come,” Shah tweeted.
PM Modi’s announcement comes amid the raging controversy over the central government rejecting West Bengal’s tableau, which was set to focus on Netaji, for the Republic Day parade in the national capital.
Responding to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s letter seeking a reconsideration of the Centre’s decision to exclude the state’s proposed tableau from the Republic Day parade, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh wrote a letter to her stating that the CPWD’s tableau for the January 26 occasion pays homage to Subhas Chandra Bose on his 125th birth anniversary.
“Our government had celebrated in 2018 with great fanfare the 75th anniversary of the government Netaji formed in exile in 1943. It was our government which included the living soldiers of the Azad Hind Fauj (Indian National Army) in the Republic Day Parade and felicitated them,” Singh said.
