He poured water from 30 rivers on the feet of the Statue of Unity. In the entire ceremony that lasted for over three hours, flower petals were showered on the Statue of Unity, and Modi too performed a puja at the feet of Sardar Patel's statue. Keeping his speech mostly apolitical and without taking the name of any party or person, Modi said that “They had created an atmosphere that appeared as if we have committed a crime.” The maker of the Statue of Unity, Ram Suthar, was felicitated on the occasion. Modi also threw open the Valley of Flowers, Wall of Unity and a museum on Sardar Patel. The Statue of Unity and facilities surrounding it, like the Valley of Flowers and Wall of Unity, came up at an estimated cost of Rs 3,000 crore.

Modi was speaking after inaugurating the Statue of Unity, which at 182 metres is the world's tallest, at Sadhu Bet in Kevadia Colony, Gujarat. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said he was surprised that some people had the audacity to see the campaign surrounding Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's Statue of Unity through a “political lens”.

Statue of unity controversy