Himachal Pradesh Public Works Department Minister and President of the Raja Virbhadra Singh Foundation, Vikramaditya Singh, has announced that a statue of six-time former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh will be unveiled at Shimla’s historic Ridge on July 15.
Addressing media persons here on Sunday, Singh said that the unveiling of the statue of Virbhadra Singh has been rescheduled from June 23, which marks his fourth death anniversary, to July 15 on the advice of the central leadership.
He further said that senior Congress leaders, including former national president Sonia Gandhi, incumbent national president Mallikarjun Kharge, general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and AICC in-charge for Himachal Pradesh Rajni Patil, have expressed their desire to attend the event.
“I recently visited New Delhi to personally invite central Congress leaders to the unveiling ceremony. Due to prior commitments on June 23, Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi requested that the date be changed. Hence, it was decided to shift the event to July 15 to ensure their presence,” he said.
Singh further said that he had met Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and requested the rescheduling, which has been accepted.
“Virbhadra Singh was not only a prominent leader of Himachal Pradesh but also a respected national figure. Leaders from both the ruling and opposition parties have evinced interest in attending the unveiling. The statue has already arrived in Shimla and will now be officially unveiled in the presence of the central leadership,” said Singh.
The Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, cabinet ministers, and all state MLAs will also be present to witness this historic occasion, he said.
Stating that he had personally invited leaders from the opposition, who have expressed willingness to attend the ceremony, he said Virbhadra Singh was widely respected across party lines, and in honouring those sentiments, the invitation has been extended to everyone.
Earlier in the day, Vikramaditya Singh chaired a meeting of the Raja Virbhadra Singh Foundation to discuss and plan arrangements for making the July 15 event a historic one. He also announced that the ritual marking Virbhadra Singh’s fourth death anniversary will be held on June 24 at their ancestral home in Rampur Bushahr, and extended an invitation to the public to attend the ceremony.