New Delhi, Oct 31: Union Home Minister Amit Shah said Friday that it was Prime Minister Narendra Modi who fulfilled Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s dream of a unified India by abrogating Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir.
Flagging off the ‘Run for Unity’ on the 150th birth anniversary of the country’s first Home Minister, Sardar Patel, at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium here, Shah said after India’s independence, the British decided to leave the country divided into 562 princely states.
“At that time, the entire world thought that it would be impossible to unite these 562 princely states into one nation. However, within a short span of time, Sardar Patel accomplished the monumental task of integrating all 562 princely states and the map of modern India that we see today is the result of his vision and efforts,” he said.
The Home Minister said some provinces were reluctant to integrate but Sardar Patel addressed every issue with determination.
Because of Article 370, Jammu and Kashmir was not fully integrated into India so Prime Minister Narendra Modi accomplished the work of Sardar Patel by abrogating the Article and now we have ‘Akhand Bharat’ with us, Shah said.
He said Congress Governments did not give adequate regards to Sardar Patel who was the architect of unified India and added that even a great personality like Sardar Patel was awarded the Bharat Ratna after a delay of 41 years.
“Neither a memorial nor a monument was built anywhere in the country. It was only when Narendra Modi became the Chief Minister of Gujarat that he conceptualized the Statue of Unity and built a grand memorial in Sardar Patel’s honor. He further said that the foundation stone of the Statue of Unity was laid on October 31, 2013,” he said.
The 182-metre-tall statue was completed in just 57 months using the iron from the farmers’ tools collected from across the country, he said.
He said that these tools were gathered and melted down to produce nearly 25,000 tonnes of iron used in the statue’s construction.
“Using 90,000 cubic metre of concrete and over 1,700 tonnes of bronze, this unforgettable monument was created, which has now become an iconic site for paying tribute to Sardar Patel,” he said.
With over 2.5 crore visitors from India and abroad, Shah said the Statue of Unity has emerged as a true marvel of Indian engineering.
Earlier, he offered floral tributes at the statue of Sardar Patel at Patel Chowk here.
In an early morning message posted on social media platform ‘X’, Shah paid homage to the ‘Iron Man’ Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel calling him a symbol of “national unity, integrity, and the empowerment of farmers.”
“Sardar Sahab strengthened the unity and security of the country by integrating the princely states and advanced the nation toward self-employment and self-reliance by connecting farmers, backward classes, and the deprived with cooperatives,” he said in his message.
Shah said his (Patel’s) firm belief was that the axis of the country’s development lies in the prosperity of farmers.
“He remained dedicated throughout his life to the welfare of farmers and the protection of their rights. It is the duty of every patriot to safeguard the nation that Sardar Sahab built, bound by the principles of justice and unity,” he said.
The Modi government has been observing October 31 as ‘Rashtriya Ekta Diwas’ or National Unity Day since 2014 to foster and reinforce its commitment to preserving and strengthening the nation’s unity, integrity, and security.
As India’s first home minister and deputy prime minister, Patel is credited with the merger of over 550 princely states into the Union of India.
Various programmes recalling Sardar Patel’s contribution to the unification of India are being organised as part of the National Unity Day celebrations across the country on the occasion of his 150th birth anniversary, with a grand parade being organised in front of his statue in Kevadia in Gujarat, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will take the salute. (Agencies)
