New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said that Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel did not receive the respect he deserved during the Congress period and the party consistently attempted to sideline and forget him.
Addressing the ‘Ekta Run’ event organised in New Delhi on the occasion of the 151st birth anniversary of the country’s first Deputy Prime Minister, HM Shah said, “For many years, India did not accord Sardar Patel the respect he deserved. The Congress party consistently attempted to sideline and forget Sardar Sahab, but a radiant personality like his can never be erased from the nation’s memory.”
“When Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat, he honoured Sardar Patel’s legacy by building the Statue of Unity, the world’s tallest statue. Through this monumental tribute, Prime Minister Modi introduced Sardar Patel’s towering contribution and remarkable personality to the entire nation,” he added.
HM Shah also highlighted Sardar Patel’s contribution to India’s national integration and said that the country achieved an undivided identity under his leadership in just 1,218 days.
“Even if several leaders worked together, work that could not be accomplished in an entire lifetime was achieved by Sardar Patel in just 1,218 days, creating an undivided India. Today, the India shaped by Sardar Patel’s vision stands with pride before the world,” he said.
The Home Minister also spoke about the government’s efforts to eliminate Naxalism and combat drug abuse, appealing to people to contribute towards making India completely drug-free by December 31, 2029.
“By March 31 of this year, the country has moved forward towards becoming free from Naxalism and drug-free. Today, on Sardar Patel’s 151st birth anniversary, I appeal to people across the country to achieve our target of making the nation completely drug-free by December 31, 2029,” he said.
He said that since Narendra Modi became Prime Minister, Sardar Patel’s birth anniversary has been observed as National Unity Day.
HM Shah also linked the vision of a ‘Viksit Bharat’ with the goal of building a drug-free nation, saying that a ‘Nasha Mukt Bharat (drug-free India)’ is the first step towards achieving the vision of a ‘Viksit Bharat’.
Highlighting some of the major decisions taken by the government, HM Shah said: “During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tenure, several landmark achievements were accomplished, including the abrogation of Article 370 that fully integrated Jammu and Kashmir with India, and major strides toward eliminating Naxalism.”
(IANS)
