Modi lays foundation of huge statue amid criticism

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks after laying the foundation for the memorial of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, in Mumbai, India, December 24, 2016. REUTERS/Shailesh Andrade

NEW DELHI // Indian prime minister Narendra Modi on Saturday laid the foundation stone for a controversial memorial of a medieval warrior king that is expected to cost billions of rupees

The memorial, which includes a proposed 192-metre statue of Shivaji, a 16th century ruler from western India, will be built off the coast of Mumbai on land reclaimed from the Arabian Sea.

The project is expected to be complete by 2019.

The government of Maharashtra state, of which Mumbai is the capital, is expected to spend about 36 billion rupees on the statue.

By noon on Saturday, 25,900 people had signed a Change.org petition asking that the government spend the money on infrastructure and development instead.

“Apart from a waste of money, this statue is going to be terrible for the environment, for the traffic situation in South Mumbai and a security nightmare,” the petition said.

Once complete, the statue will be more than twice the height of the Statue of Liberty.

On Saturday, Mr Modi performed a Hindu ritual called Bhoomipujan, or worshipping the land. The ritual is performed by devout Hindus before the start of any construction project.

This is not the first time that a large amount of taxpayers’ money has been set aside to build a statue or memorial to a popular leader in India.

In 2014, shortly after Mr Modi became prime minister, the national budget set aside about 2 billion rupees to build a structure to honour independence leader Vallabbhai Patel. That project is under way in Mr Modi’s home state of Gujarat and, once complete, is expected to cost about 10 times the amount set aside in the budget.

The rest is expected to be funded by private and corporate donors.

Mr Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party is not alone in its love of statues.

Mayawati, a leader from the populous northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh who goes by one name, had dozens of statues erected honouring her and political mentors during her time as that state’s leader.

* Associated Press