An advertisement to sell the Statue of Unity for Rs. 30000 crore was placed on OLX by an unidentified individual, to help the Government with funds to fight the Coronavirus outbreak. The ad was later removed, and a case was recorded against the individual.
Statue Of Unity has been a target in recent times
Inaugurated in 2018 by PM Narendra Modi, Statue of Unity located in the Narmada district of Gujarat is the tallest such structure in the world. Reportedly constructed on a budget of around Rs. 3000 crores, the tourist attraction has been drawing crowds ever since its opening.
However, with the COVID-19 outbreak and the Government’s slow pace in allocating adequate funds to fight the pandemic, the amount spent on this statue has often been drawn into the discussion.
Ad placed by an unidentified individual
An unidentified person placed an ad on OLX to sell the statue and use the funds to help the government fight the outbreak. However, a case was soon registered against the individual for trying to sell government property.
An official from the Kevadiya Police Station said:
“Some unknown person placed an advertisement on OLX on Saturday stating he needs to sell the Statue of Unity for ₹30,000 crores to meet the requirement of money to buy hospitals and healthcare equipment.”
The official also further mentioned the sections under which the case was filed.
“The memorial authorities came to know of the issue after a newspaper ran an article, and approached the police. A cheating and forgery case was registered under IPC, Epidemic Diseases Act and Information Technology Act.”
The Chief Administrator of the Statue of Unity also released a statement regarding the issue. He said:
“Despite him not being authorized to sell government property, this unidentified person posted the advertisement on OLX to defame the government and mislead people.”
