Britain – The well-known British Parliamentarian called ‘Statue of Unity’ a total nonsense and condemned Indian government of misusing British taxpayer’s money, as a foreign aid, on a statue instead of enhancing women’s rights, funding solar panels, and investing to develop low-carbon transport.
According to 66-year-old – Peter William Bone – member of parliament for Wellingborough, the English taxpayer donated £1.17billion in foreign aid and Indian government utilized £330million for the construction of 597ft tall bronze memorial of Sardar Patel —‘Statue of Unity’, quoted by Daily Mail Online.
Expressing his anger, he said, “To take £1.1billion in aid from us and then at the same time spend £330million on a statue is a total nonsense and it is the sort of thing that drives people mad.”
“What it proves is that we should not be giving money to India. It is up to them how they spend their money but if they can afford this statue, then it is clearly a country we should not need to be giving aid to,” he exclaimed.
Official records reveal that Britain donated India with £300million in 2012, £268million in 2013, £278 million in 2014 and £185million in 2015. More aid was also given in smaller amounts in consecutive years.
The British claim that the statue of unity project gave employment to only 3,500 people while 72 villages were ruined and thousands of poor villagers were forced to leave their houses.
The primary goal of the British aid to India was to test whether Yoga helps people who have had heart attacks, and bringing women scientists from India to Cambridge university.
The Great Britain is extremely angry over Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi who spent Rs. 2989.5 Crore on Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s statue, that was unveiled on October 31.