Close to Ridge or on Ridge? Virbhadra statue controversy erupts again as CM, Pratibha at odds over location

 PWD Minister Vikramaditya had resigned over issue during budget session

The ongoing controversy regarding the installation of a statue of the late Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on the Ridge ground in Shimla has resurfaced, with top political leaders issuing conflicting statements.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu announced that the statue would be placed near the Ridge, a decision met with mixed reactions.

In contrast, Pratibha Singh, Virbhadra Singh’s widow and the Himachal Pradesh Congress president, insists that the statue should be installed on the Ridge itself.

For the family and loyalists of Virbhadra Singh, positioning his statue on the Ridge is a matter of deep emotional significance.

Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Vikramaditya Singh, Virbhadra Singh’s son, had highlighted the government’s hesitance to allocate land on the Ridge as a primary reason for his brief resignation from the council of ministers during the budget session, a decision he later reversed.

Chief Minister Sukhu, while paying tribute to the six-time Chief Minister on his 91st birth anniversary at the party headquarters in Shimla on Sunday (June 23, 2024), reiterated the government’s commitment to honouring Virbhadra. “We will definitely install his statue.

We have statues of national-level leaders on the Ridge, so we will develop an appropriate place close to the Ridge to install the statue,” Sukhu stated.

Pratibha Singh expressed gratitude for the Chief Minister’s assurance but maintained her stance on the statue’s location. “He was no less than a national leader.

While his services to the state are well documented, he made contributions to the country as well,” she said.

“The people want to see his statue on the Ridge. We will meet the Chief Minister and apprise him of the overwhelming sentiment among the people,” she added.