Sonia Gandhi Unveils Statue of Former Himachal CM Virbhadra Singh in Shimla Tribute Ceremony

SHIMLA, Oct 13: Senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi on Monday unveiled a bronze statue of former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh at Daulat Singh Park on the historic Ridge Ground in Shimla.

Accompanied by her daughter, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chairperson paid floral tributes to the late leader, who served as the state’s chief minister six times and remained a towering figure in Himachal politics for over four decades.

The six-foot-tall bronze statue, crafted by renowned sculptors Ram V Sutar and Anil Ram Sutar, was installed at a cost of ₹40 lakh  ₹24 lakh for construction and ₹16 lakh for installation. The father-son duo also designed the Statue of Unity, the world’s tallest statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in Gujarat.

Virbhadra Singh, scion of the Rampur-Bushahr royal family, first became chief minister on April 8, 1983, and held the position five more times until his passing in 2021 after a prolonged illness. His wife, Pratibha Singh, currently heads the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee, while his son, Vikramaditya Singh, serves as the Public Works Minister.

The statue’s unveiling, followed by a rally, was organised by Vikramaditya Singh in his capacity as chairman of the Raja Virbhadra Singh Foundation. The event was originally scheduled for Virbhadra’s birth anniversary on June 23 but was postponed.

A large number of party workers and supporters gathered at the Ridge to witness the event. Security was tightened with around 400 police personnel deployed and the city divided into five security sectors. Traffic restrictions were also imposed until 3 p.m.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Deputy CM Mukesh Agnihotri, HPCC president Pratibha Singh, Congress leaders Priyanka Gandhi, Sachin Pilot, Deepender Hooda, and Rajiv Shukla were among the dignitaries present at the ceremony.