Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP from Gujarat, Ahmed Patel, on Friday, posted pictures of Chinese staff working at the Statue of Unity (SOU) project in Gujarat. He commented, asking whether they were tourists or not. A day before, Congress president Rahul Gandhi, during his address in a public rally at Chitrakoot in Madhya Pradesh, had alleged that the 182 meter-tall statue of Sardar Patel was made in China and not made in India.
Patel posted photographs of Chinese engineers and staff working at the SOU site and the structure of the statue can be seen in the background. Patel's caption along with this picture, read, "Are they Chinese workers or Chinese tourists?"
Stung by the remark and photographs shared on social media by Patel, the Gujarat government has reacted to the incident. Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel said, "This is Congress's childish attitude of creating controversies on personalities such as Sardar Patel. Congress leader Ahmed Patel has tried to mislead people of this nation through such a post. Around 3,000 to 4,000 skilled, partially skilled or unskilled workers from all across India and Gujarat have been getting employment through construction work of the statue of unity for the last four years. They have received remuneration of more than Rs 500 crore in total, along with creation of employment of 25.66 lakh man days. Earlier in the project, 100 engineers were working and today, there are 225 engineers who are working on the project and they have also got employment of 1.17 lakh man days."
"As per the terms and conditions in tender for the work of SOU, the contractor firms based abroad who have also procured materials through imports, have to send their experienced staff for fitting of the materials. Under this term, around 200 workers from outside India have come for the work of cladding of the metal-made outer structure of the statue," Nitin Patel added.
The deputy CM also said that Congress leaders have been making such controversial statements to please their president Rahul Gandhi after he made the comment on the Statue of Unity during his electoral rally.
CASE IN POINT
- Cong leader Ahmed Patel posted photographs of Chinese engineers and staff working at SOU site & structure of the statue can be seen in the background
- His caption read are they Chinese workers or Chinese tourists
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 "Ahmed Patel")
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