Rahul Gandhi's "China-Nirbhar" dig at government over Statue of Equality

A controversy has erupted over the Statue of Equality, the 216 feet seated idol of Ramanujacharya recently inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a Hyderabad temple.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took a jibe at the government's aatmanirbhar policy as he claimed that that the Statue of Equality was made in China. He asked if 'New India is China-nirbhar'?

According to the project website, the 216-feet statue of Ramanujacharya in Hyderabad was made by a Chinese corporation. The contract for the Rs 135 crore statue was awarded to China's Aerosun Corporation in 2015.

Union minister of culture G Kishan Reddy condemned Rahul Gandhi's attack and termed his accusation as shallow and ignorant. The Minister of Culture and Tourism responded stating that the Statue of Equality was commissioned more than 8 years ago when the Congress was in Government both at the Centre and in the state of Telangana.

The statue was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 5. The statue, which is among the tallest metallic statues in sitting position in the world, is a tribute to the Hindu saint Sri Ramanujacharya. It is located in a 45-acre complex on the outskirts of Hyderabad. The Rs1,000-crore project was funded entirely by donations from devotees globally.