Statue of Unity - "one of the worst examples of the misuse of foreign aid money" says UKIP Leader

The world's largest statue, the Statue of Unity, a gigantic representation of Indian Nationalist Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel has been completed in Gujarat, India at a total cost of £330 million. 

It has been revealed that over the period of construction, the UK gave India £1.17 billion in overseas aid.

UKIP Leader Gerard Batten commented:

"The British taxpayer has more than foot the bill for this gigantic statue. How can any politician justify cutting funding to social services while sending over money used to construct something like this? India has a space programme, nuclear weapons and is looking to set up its own foreign aid budget - why are we still giving them aid money?

"UKIP policy is to scrap foreign aid entirely and spend the £14 billion on fighting poverty and homelessness in our own country. This vanity project is one of the worst examples of the misuse of foreign aid money I've ever seen."