Mahatma Gandhi's Statue Unveiled at London's Parliament Square

A nine-foot bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi was unveiled in London's Parliament Square today by British Prime Minister David Cameron and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley

Mahatma Gandhi is the first Indian and the only person never to have been in public office to be honoured with a statue in the square. The statue has been funded by donations of over a million pounds to the Gandhi Statue Memorial Trust, headed by the Opposition Labour Party peer Meghnad Desai and his wife Kishwar Desai. (Photo credit:APTN)

The statue of Mahatma Gandhi just before its unveiling at London's Parliament Square.(Photo credit:APTN)

Union minister Arun Jaitley, British PM David Cameron, actor Amitabh Bachchan at unveiling of Gandhi statue in London. (Photo credit: APTN)

Union minister Arun Jaitley along with British PM David Cameron. (Photo credit:APTN)

"It is a great tribute to both British liberalism and British democracy that they have now chosen Gandhi to share what is the most prominent public space in this country. It is a great day when two adversaries and contrarian viewpoints converge to appreciate each other," Mr Jaitley said on the occasion.

Actor Amitabh Bachchan, who was also present for the unveiling, read out an excerpt from Mahatma Gandhi's "The World Of Tomorrow". "If there is to be a great change in society, how will that change be brought, different men have different answers to this question." (Photo credit:APTN)

After the unveiling of the statue, Mr Cameron said, "It's a tribute to one of the towering figures in world politics." (Photo credit:APTN)