New Delhi: A six-foot-tall statue of the late Union Minister Arun Jaitley is to be erected at the Ferozeshah Kotla ground and will be unveiled on December 28 on his 68th birth anniversary, presumably by Amit Shah.
Jaitley was the president of the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) for 14 years, from 1999 to 2013, before he was out of the cricket administration due to the 2014 general elections, which were coming at the time. Currently, the DDCA is led by his 31-year-old son Rohan, who was elected unopposed chairman on 17 October.
The statue is being designed by the father-son Suthar of Ram Sutar Art Creations Private Limited. Ltd. and Ram Sutar Fine Arts Pvt. Ltd., which created Sardar Patel’s Statue of Unity – the world’s highest 597 feet – is in Gujarat on the banks of the Narmada River.
Famous architect and sculptor Anil Ram Sutar, Ram V. When contacted by Sutar’s son, he confirmed that he and his father were designing the statue.
A source said that the decision to install the statue of Arun Jaitley was taken at the first meeting of the DDCA Council in October, soon after which Rohan, a new treasurer and four other directors were elected.
The statue will probably be inaugurated by Home Minister Amit Shah, provided the Corona does not escalate in Delhi around December 28. The place where the statue will be installed will be beautified after the stage is completed.
The platform on which the statue will be installed is being constructed these days in the parking area near Virendra Sehwag Gate (Gate No.1) of Arun Jaitley Stadium, the premier cricket venue in the national capital.
Following a demand from Arun Jaitley’s followers at the DDCA, the Ferozeshah Kotla Stadium was named on 12 September last year in the presence of the Indian cricket team, Amit Shah and the family of the late finance minister. The name Ferozeshah Kotla was not completely disputed, however, the DDCA management retained it for the sports sector for its historical significance.
The historic site was built in 1883, and was called the Ferozeshah Kotla Stadium. The stadium has various stands named after Virat Kohli, Bishan Singh Bedi, Mohinder Amarnath and Gautam Gambhir – all stalwarts who have either represented Delhi or are still representing it.
The next stand should be named in memory of Chetan Chauhan, a former India opener and DDCA vice-president who died on 16 August.