A new statue of Mahatma Gandhi in London’s Parliament Square was described as ‘a magnificent tribute’ by David Cameron after he unveiled it yesterday. The 9ft bronze figure marks 100 years since Gandhi began his peaceful struggle for India’s independence from the British. At the ceremony, a band played Indian classical music on sitars, the country’s flags festooned the square and schoolchildren stood in the crowd to watch. Prime Minister David Cameron meets with Gandhi's grandson Gopalkrishna, right, at Westminster . The statue of the Indian leader was unveiled in Westminster today by the nation's finance minister . Mr Cameron described Gandhi as 'one of the most towering figures in the history of world politics' Mr Cameron said: ‘This statue is a magnificent tribute to one of the most towering figures in the history of world politics – and by putting Mahatma Gandhi in this famous square, we are giving him an eternal home in our country. ‘Many of his teachings remain as potent today as when he first made them. ‘This statue celebrates the incredibly special friendship between the world’s oldest democracy and its largest, as well as the universal power of Gandhi’s message.’ The privately funded work, created by Philip Jackson, shows Gandhi dressed in a shawl and traditional dhoti skirt, with his hands clasped. Indian finance minister Arun Jaitley, who helped unveil the statue, said: ‘How many countries celebrate the life work of a man who opposed it with vehemence for more than three decades? Not many.’ Gandhi stands opposite a statue of Sir Winston Churchill, who described him as a 'half-naked …seditious fakir'. The statue by Philip Jackson is located on Parliament Square, directly across from Winston Churchill .
David Cameron described Gandhi as 'a towering figure in world politics' The 9ft statue was unveiled on the 100th anniversary of Gandhi's campaign . Gandhi's statue is located in Parliament Square across from Churchill . Churchill described Gandhi as a 'half-naked …seditious fakir'