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Sardar Patel’s ‘Statue of Unity’, tallest in the world, dedicated to the nation

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Sardar Patel’s ‘Statue of Unity’, tallest in the world, dedicated to the nation

The 182-metre tall statue of freedom fighter and India’s first home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel built near the Sardar Sarovar dam was dedicated to the nation on his birth anniversary today (Wednesday, October 31), by Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a grand ceremony.

The statue of Patel is an “answer to those who question India’s existence”, PM Modi said at the inaugural ceremony in Gujarat’s Kevadiya district. “It shows that India was, is and always will be eternal,” he said.

Air Force planes showered flower petals on the statue in a grand inaugural event on the banks of the Narmada.

Built at a cost of Rs 2,989 crore, the “Statue of Unity” is the world’s tallest statue, as it stands 177 feet higher than China’s Spring Temple Buddha, currently the world’s tallest statue. It is nearly twice as tall as USA’s iconic Statue of Liberty which is 93 metres tall.Sardar Patel’s ‘Statue of Unity’, tallest in the world, dedicated to the nation

Apart from the statue itself, there are five other related sites that are constructed along with the world’s tallest statue. These include the walkway, the ticket counter, the food court, the four-lane approach highway, and the ‘Shrestha Bharat Bhavan’ – a 52-room three-star lodging facility for the visitors coming to see the monument.

The statue stands on Sadhu island on the Narmada, 3.2 km downstream of Sardar Sarovar Dam. The statue is designed by Padma Bhushan-winning sculptor Ram V Sutar and has been built by Larsen and Toubro and the state-run Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd. It shows Patel wearing a traditional dhoti and shawl, towering over the Narmada River. The height was picked as ‘182’ metre to match the total Assembly constituencies in Gujarat.

Paying tributes to Sardar Patel on his birth anniversary, Modi recalled the contribution of Sardar Patel to unifying the country after Independence as the great leader brought more than 500 princely states on a common platform to join the Union of India.

“Without Sardar, we would not have imagined a railway line from Kashmir to Kanyakumari,” Modi said.

Crediting Sardar Patel for a “united India,” Modi said, “Had Sardar Patel not united the country, we would need visas to see lions or pay homage at Somnath or view the Charminar in Hyderabad. Patel converted India’s diversity into its biggest strength. The country is today following the path shown by Patel and is moving towards becoming the world’s greatest economic and strategic power.”

The PM also took the opportunity to hit out at those who have criticised his government for spending approximately Rs 3,000 crore to build the world’s tallest statue. The Statue of Unity has, drawn flak from tribals and farmers living in the region who called it a “mass destruction” of natural resources. They had also called for a boycott of the event.

Launching an attack on those opposing the Statue of Unity, PM Modi said he is “amazed” that protesters are giving it a “political colour.” “The statue is a symbol of country’s respect to this great man. Praising great icons like Patel has also brought us criticism. It seems like we have committed a big crime,” he said.

“I find it amusing when some people of our own country dare to see this initiative from a political view and criticise us as if we have committed a huge crime. Is remembering the country’s great personalities a crime?” he said.

The Sardar Patel statue, the Mahatma Mandir convention and exhibition centre in Gandhinagar, Shivaji Statue in Maharashtra, Ambedkar Memorial and Shyamji Krishna Verma’s memorial were examples of reliving the history and recalling the supreme contributions made by those during the Freedom movement, Modi noted.

He also said that the statue will promote the livelihood of the people in the area. “This is the tallest statue in the world. People across the world will visit this site and remember it. The contribution of the tribals, farmers and villagers, who helped to make the Statue of Unity cannot be ignored. The statue will bring prosperity to the tribals, farmers and villagers in this region. It will lead to job creation and promote tourism in the area,” Modi said.

“The world’s tallest statue would remind the entire world, the future generations about the courage, capabilities and resolution of the person who did this holy work of thwarting the conspiracy to disintegrate Mother India into pieces,” the prime minister said addressing a gathering after inaugurating the monument. This (statue) is a source of unity…with this sentiment we should march…and march with a dream to make the country ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’ (One India, Superior India),” he added.

“Like Sardar Patel united the country geographically by merging erstwhile princely states, we have united the country economically by bringing in GST,” the PM said. “We are expanding Sardar Patel’s resolve of uniting the country by introducing various schemes, such as One Nation One Grid, eNAM and Bharatmala. Through such schemes of connecting the country, we are committed to make Ek Bharat Shreshth Bharat(One India Best India)” he said.

The statue was conceptualised by Modi when he was Gujarat Chief Minister. The foundation stone was laid in October 2013. “It is my honour that I got a chance to pay the tribute to the great man. It is Patel’s efforts that have led our country to what it is today. Today is a day that will be remembered in the history of India. No Indian will ever forget this day.”

Also present at the venue were Gujarat Governor O P Kohli, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, Deputy CM Nitin Patel, BJP chief Amit Shah, Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala and Madhya Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel.

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Asian Games 2026: India wins 3 shooting medals, medal tally rises to 6

India added four medals on Day 2 of the Asian Games 2026, including three in shooting and a bronze for Suchika Tariyal in MMA.

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India enjoyed a strong outing on Day 2 of the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, adding four medals to its overall tally.

The biggest haul came from shooting, where India secured three medals in the men’s 10m air rifle events. Himanshu Dhillon won silver and Rudrankksh Patil claimed bronze in the individual final, while the duo had earlier combined with Parth Mane to secure silver in the team event.

India’s medal tally subsequently rose to six at the Asian Games 2026. Alongside the three shooting medals, Suchika Tariyal secured bronze in the women’s traditional 60kg MMA category.

Double podium finish for India in shooting

Himanshu Dhillon produced a strong performance in the men’s 10m air rifle individual final to claim the silver medal, while Rudrankksh Patil finished with bronze.

The individual medals followed India’s silver in the men’s 10m air rifle team event earlier in the day. Dhillon, Patil and Parth Mane combined to finish second in the team competition.

Patil and Dhillon had also made it through to the individual final after their qualification performances. Patil finished third in qualification with 631.8, while Mane ended 11th with 628.3 and missed out on the individual final.

Suchika Tariyal wins MMA bronze

India also added a bronze medal in mixed martial arts through Suchika Tariyal in the women’s traditional 60kg category.

Tariyal lost her semifinal against Singapore’s Teo Hui Hoon after a closely contested bout. The Indian contingent subsequently challenged the decision.

According to Suchika’s coach, the bout was level before going into overtime, with Singapore awarded the victory after the extra period. The challenge was made in the arbitration zone.

Tariyal had reached the semifinals after defeating her Mongolian opponent 2-0, guaranteeing herself a medal.

India beat Pakistan in women’s table tennis

India’s women’s table tennis team also advanced to the quarter-finals after defeating Pakistan 3-0 in their Group F match.

Sreeja Akula completed India’s victory with an 11-4, 11-4, 11-5 win over Fatima Khan.

More Indian results on Day 2

In swimming, Srihari Nataraj qualified for the men’s 50m backstroke final after finishing third in his heat in 25.37 seconds. Rishabh Das finished fourth in the same heat and was listed as a reserve. Dhanush Suresh, meanwhile, missed the men’s 100m breaststroke final after finishing 22nd overall in 1:03.46.

In boxing, Sumit Kundu advanced to the Round of 16 in the 70kg division after defeating Thailand’s Bunjong Sinsiri by unanimous decision.

India’s Aadhya Tiwari and Jay Meena also advanced to the Round of 16 in mixed doubles soft tennis despite losing their final group match against South Korea.

The Indian men’s sepaktakraw team, however, lost 2-1 to Japan in its Group B match.

India also had action scheduled in women’s hockey, with the team taking on Indonesia in its second group-stage match after a 19-0 win over Uzbekistan in its opening game.

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Karnataka Congress MLA H K Patil threatens to quit over drought

Congress MLA H K Patil has threatened to resign if Karnataka’s Gadag taluk is not declared drought-hit by October 10.

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Karnataka MLA

Congress leader and former Karnataka minister H K Patil has threatened to resign as MLA if Gadag taluk is not declared drought-hit by October 10.

Speaking to farmers on Sunday, Patil said he would respect their demand for his resignation if the drought declaration was not made within the deadline. He also said he would make efforts to get Gadag declared drought-hit before October 2, which is Gandhi Jayanti.

Patil said he was not helpless on the issue and would work to ensure the declaration was made at the earliest.

He further warned that he would resign if anyone tried to prevent Gadag taluk from receiving drought-hit status despite its eligibility.

More Karnataka taluks may be declared drought-hit

So far, 124 taluks in Karnataka have been declared drought-hit, while assessment is continuing in other parts of the state.

Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara, who also holds the Revenue portfolio, said earlier on Sunday that more than 200 taluks across Karnataka are likely to be included in the drought-affected list.

According to Parameshwara, the government is assessing areas in phases based on prescribed criteria and ground-truthing. He said 101 taluks were declared drought-affected in the first phase, followed by another 24.

An additional 52 taluks are expected to be declared drought-affected in the next three to four days.

Patil has meanwhile set October 10 as the deadline for Gadag taluk, saying he would submit his resignation if the area is not declared drought-hit by then.

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Delhi voter list row: Poll body says notice doesn’t mean exclusion

The Election Commission clarified that notices issued during Delhi’s Special Intensive Revision do not mean voters have been excluded from the electoral rolls.

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Delhi Voter list

The Election Commission has clarified that receiving a notice during Delhi’s ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls does not mean that a voter’s name has been excluded or will automatically be deleted from the voter list.

The clarification came after notices issued to several prominent individuals, including former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, New Delhi MP Bansuri Swaraj, former Delhi BJP president Virendra Kumar Sachdeva, former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, and senior BJP leader L K Advani, drew attention.

The poll body said the notices indicate discrepancies in voter documentation that require verification.

What the Election Commission said

An Election Commission official said the issuance of a notice does not mean an individual has been excluded from the electoral roll. According to the official, the notices are issued when there is a discrepancy in the documentation and voters are required to provide the necessary information or documents for verification.

The Delhi election body also issued a clarification stating that system-generated notices are being sent to certain categories of electors to correct their data in ECINET.

It said that no name can be deleted from the electoral rolls without giving the concerned person an opportunity to be heard and issuing a proper speaking and appealable order.

Why are Delhi voters receiving notices?

The poll body said notices have been issued to electors whose details could not be linked with the electoral roll from the last intensive revision, as well as those whose linking showed logical discrepancies.

The draft electoral rolls were published on August 31 based on information provided by voters through enumeration forms.

Of around 97 lakh voters included in the draft rolls, about 33.13 lakh were identified for notices over discrepancies in their enumeration forms. More than 31.63 lakh notices had been served so far, according to the poll body.

What happens after receiving a notice?

Voters who receive notices can submit their replies and the required documents to the concerned Electoral Registration Officer or Booth Level Officer.

The poll body said the list of documents prescribed by the Election Commission is indicative and not exhaustive. The EROs will take decisions on individual cases based on the available documents and the BLO’s report.

The disposal of notices is scheduled to be completed by October 29, 2026. The names of such electors are to be included in the final electoral roll scheduled to be published on November 4, 2026.

The Election Commission said the revision process is intended to ensure that eligible voters remain included in the electoral roll while ineligible names are not included.

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