New Delhi, Apr 28: Amid chants hailing the great
Maratha Warrior, an equestrian statue of Chatrapati Shivaji
was unveiled in parliament house complex by President A P J
Abdul Kalam at a colourful ceremony.
Vice-president Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, Prime Minister
Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani, leader
of the opposition Sonia Gandhi were among a galaxy of leaders
present when the 18 feet high bronze statue sculpted by
eminent sculptor Ram Sutar was unveiled.
Vajpayee, Advani, Lok Sabha Speaker Manohar Joshi, Rajya
Sabha deputy chairperson Najma Heptullah and Deputy Speaker P M Sayeed and several union ministers and MPs including Sushma
Swaraj wore saffron turbans at the ceremony.
NCP president Sharad Pawar, Maharashtra Chief Minister
Sushilkumar Shinde, his predecessor Vilasrao Deshmukh, Deputy
Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal were present at the function so
also the leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha Manmohan
Singh.
Maharashtra government has donated the statue.
Uddhav Thackarey, executive president of the Shivsena,
on his maiden visit to the capital after assuming the party
post, also attended the function.
The president later also unveiled an equestrian statue
of religious leader and social reformer Mahatma Basaveshswara
in the Parliament house complex in presence of the leaders
including Karnataka Governor T N Chaturvedi and Chief Minister
S M Krishna.
The statue has been donated by Sharanabasawappa Appa,
head of the Sharanabasaveshswar Sansthan, Gulabarga, who was
also present on the occasion.
Bureau Report
