Sonia Gandhi reaches Shimla for statue unveiling of stalwart Virbhadra Singh

Shimla, Oct 12 (IANS) Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Sunday reached the Himachal Pradesh capital to participate in the unveiling of the statue of party stalwart Virbhadra Singh, who was at the helm of the state for a record six times.

The statue will be set at the Daulat Singh Park on the historic Ridge.

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu along with Cabinet colleagues welcomed Sonia Gandhi upon her arrival in Shimla.

The statue’s unveiling was initially planned on Virbhadra Singh’s birth anniversary on June 23, but was postponed due to the pre-occupation of party’s leadership.

The invitation for the ceremony was extended by Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh, son of the late leader and the Chairman of the Raja Virbhadra Singh Foundation.

The statue will be situated near that of Dr Y.S. Parmar, the first chief minister of Himachal Pradesh, as well as other notable figures, including Mahatma Gandhi and former prime ministers Indira Gandhi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, whose statues are also installed on the Ridge.

The Congress veteran passed away on July 8, 2021, at the Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital (IGMCH) here after a three-month long battle with post-Covid complications, doctors said. He was 87.

Popularly known as ‘Raja Saab’ as he was born heir into the erstwhile princely state of Bushahr, Virbhadra Singh was in active politics for over 50 years.

Being a charismatic leader, he was known for having no qualms about folding his hands and bowing before the commoners to seek votes for the party -- be it in the Assembly polls, parliamentary elections or even for the civic body polls.

A nine-time legislator and five-time MP, Singh, who had first entered the Lok Sabha in 1962, was often quoted as saying: “I am a grassroots worker. I have risen from the ground and my roots are still firmly stuck here (in Himachal Pradesh).”

In the 2017 assembly elections, Virbhadra Singh and his son Vikramaditya Singh won in their constituencies, even as their Congress party lost power.

Known for his benevolence, wit and charm, Virbhadra Singh, known for picking errors in bureaucratic notes and redrafting them on his personal typewriter, was believed to be among the tallest leaders in the state, who successfully fought and led numerous political battles single-handedly, even when he turned octogenarian.

--IANS

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