Modi flags off 'run for unity' marathon to collect iron for Patel statue

Gujarat Chief Minister and BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi has flagged off a ‘Run for Unity’ marathon in Vadodara, as part of a massive outreach programme to collect iron for a 182 metre statue of Sardar Vallabhai Patel in the middle of the Narmada river.

BJP leader LK Advani flagged off the marathon from Ahmedabad.

Speaking in Vadodara, Modi said that the statue represented the dreams of millions of Indians.

Earlier, one of the organisers of the event was quoted by the Economic Times as saying, ““fifty lakh people will run a marathon in over 1,000 locations around the country. By February end BJP workers will reach out to 1.87 lakh sarpanches to collect and bring back farm iron and soil, in branded boxes fitted with tracking devices, that will be used to build the statue.”

According to a post by Narendra Modi on his website , The Run for Unity will be the largest mass run/walk of its kind in the world. The previous world record was a participation of 1.2 lakh, however, the Run for Unity will beat this record more than twenty fold. Men and women, young and old, celebrities and civilians alike will wear a common unity scarf to mark their participation in this historic event. Participants will be free to run or walk over a 2km route.

City police have made elaborate security arrangements, deploying 2,500 police jawans and 6 companies of SRP on the route of the run. One DIG, 3 DCPs, 7 ACPs and 25 Police Inspectors along with 115 PSI will supervise the police teams. The entire run will closely be monitored by aerial surveillance team and the city has been put under CCTV surveillance.

The 21-km run will pass through Lalbaug overbridge, Rajmahal Road, Vishwamitri overbridge, Chhani circle, Fatehgunj circle, Kalaghoda, before ending at the Navlakhi ground. The 15-km run will skip Chhani route and will instead reach Fatehgunj circle before ending at Navlakhi ground, officials organising the event said.

Meanwhile the Vadodara police have deployed an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to keep an eye on the marathon.

“The five-km route of marathon passes through various sensitive areas of the city. Therefore, we are planning to use UAV with a powerful camera that can capture the entire area from above and close-up from 200 metres,” City Police Commissioner Satish Sharma said on Saturday. The run is also being livestreamed here .

At least 2,500 policemen and home guards, apart from six companies of State Reserve Police have been called to provide security, he said.

Vadodara District Collector Vinod Rao said, “It will be a unique event and we expect more than 1.85 lakh people to participate in the marathon. This will be a record in itself.”

With inputs from PTI