Watch: Trevor Noah Baffled at India’s Statue of Unity

In a sardonic comment, Trevor Noah said that a lot could be done with the money spent on building the statue.

Trevor Noah, host of The Daily Show with Trevor Noah. 

(Photo: AP)

Comedian and host of The Daily Show, Trevor Noah, was among the hundreds left baffled by the news that India spent $400 million (Rs 2,989 crore) on building the ‘world’s tallest statue’ of freedom fighter Sardar Vallabhai Patel.

In the episode released on Youtube on 9 November, Noah exclaimed at the exorbitant amount spent by the Indian government on building the statue of the man credited with bringing the country together after it attained independence in 1947.

The Trump administration is spending $200 million on installing barbed wires across the Texas border with Mexico to keep out a ‘migrant caravan’. Trevor joked that for the value of the Statue of Unity, the migrants could be flown to Sweden and back first class, and asked to set up the barbed wires to keep themselves out.

Noah also passed a jibe at the Indian government, saying that instead of Patel, the statue could have been of Mahatma Gandhi, who is “as famous, but skinnier,” so India would have saved half the costs.

“What are you doing, India? I’m not saying don’t build statues, but why not build one of, like Gandhi, right? He’s also famous and he was much skinnier, okay? They could have saved on materials. Same height, but half the cost.”

Trevor Noah

The statue, dedicated to the ‘Iron Man of India’ Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, is situated on an islet near the Sardar Sarovar Dam in Kevadiya. It was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 31 October.

Since its opening on 1 November, the 182-metre tall Statue of Unity in Narmada district of Gujarat has attracted more than 1.28 lakh tourists, officials told PTI.