A statue of Virbhadra Singh, the six-time chief minister of Himachal Pradesh, was unveiled at Sainj near Rampur on the eve of his 89th birth anniversary on Thursday.
Unveiling the statue, Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri said being one of the most respected and tallest leaders of the state, Singh was also the architect of modern Himachal.
He brought the state to the forefront in the health and education sectors and never encouraged regionalism and casteism. Singh believed in a balanced and uniform development of the entire state, he added.
Singh who took over as chief minister for the first time on April 8, 1983, was sworn in again on March 5, 1985, after mid-term polls. He took over as the chief minister in December 1993, March 1998, March 2003, and December 2012. His innings ended in 2017 after the defeat of the Congress party in assembly polls.
Singh also served as deputy minister, minister of state, and cabinet minister in the Union ministry and was elected to Lok Sabha five times. He passed away on July 8, 2021.
Speaking on the occasion, public works minister and son of Virbhadra Singh – Vikramaditya Singh said an institution would be run in the name of the former chief minister, and his statutes would be installed at other places also.