Move to replace Gandhi statue sparks protest

Guwahati, Aug 9 (UNI) The Assam government’s move to replace the statue of father of nation Mahatma Gandhi in Guwahati as it presented a distorted image has drawn flak from various quarters. The statue was created by Ramkinkar Baij and is located inside the Gandhi Mandap garden atop Sarania Hill in Guwahati. It was unveiled in 1970. After the report was published in a leading newspaper it sparked off immediate protests. A BJP MLA from Guwahati, said the statue’s hands and feet are disproportionate and do not resemble those of Gandhi. “His face is distorted, as also the pair of glasses,” Siddartha Bhattacharya said, adding that this is why we have decided to dismantle it and place a new statue there. The decision sparked of immediate outrage with many freedom fighters in the state termed the act criminal and anti-national, and said this is an insult not just to the great sculptor, but also to the Mahatma. UNI