Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday called the Statue of Unity "a befitting memorial to Sardar Patel", adding that given its significance, the amount spent on erecting the statue was a "priceless investment".

Speaking after visiting the 182-metre statue (now the tallest statue globally) in Gujarat, Naidu said his "heart was filled with emotions and pride" and the visit gave him a feeling of completeness and a sense of unity of mind and soul.

"The splendid statue represents the vision and resolve of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel towards achieving political integration of a 'unified India'. The historic statue stands as a reminder of the struggles the Sardar had undergone in unifying India," an official statement quoted Naidu as saying.

Saying that Patel's vision, courage and determination led to the integration of 565 princely states and paved the way for building a modern India, he lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking up the initiative to build it.

The Vice President said he had always felt that due recognition was not given to Sardar Patel in the past.

As per Naidu, the statue, inaugurated in October 2018, would create greater awareness among the people about Sardar Patel's monumental contribution to nation building.

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Naidu encouraged the youth to visit the statue.

Talking about the humble beginnings of Patel who hailed from a farmer's family, he said it was "a matter of pride for all of us that a farmer was the architect of unified modern India", the statement added. (IANS)