The Himachal Pradesh government has announced that it will install a statue of former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh at an appropriate location near the historic Ridge in Shimla. While paying tributes to the veteran leader on his 91st birth anniversary, the current CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu revealed the government’s plans to honour Virbhadra Singh’s memory and immense contributions.
Sukhu stated that the six-time CM was a towering figure in the state and deserved to be commemorated suitably. The Ridge area, which is closely associated with Himachal’s identity, has statues of prominent national leaders and Virbhadra Singh was no less, he opined. Responding to demands from the public as well as Virbhadra Singh’s family, Sukhu assured that a suitable site near the Ridge would be developed specifically for placing his statue.
Pratibha Singh, wife of the late CM and state Congress president, appreciated the CM’s decision. However, she reiterated that the people were keen to see the statue at the Ridge itself, given Virbhadra Singh’s stature at the national level too. She said Congress will meet Sukhu again to convey this popular sentiment and seek a location on the Ridge to honour his memory befittingly.
For the family as well as Virbhadra loyalists, his memorial being established there holds deep emotive value. Previously, the delay in approving land on the Ridge had reportedly led to Vikramaditya Singh’s resignation from the state cabinet. The government move aims to assuage the sentiments of the Congress stalwart’s supporters across Himachal. Overall, the decision underscores Virbhadra Singh’s enduring legacy and the respect he commands among the masses of the state even today.
