Union Home Minister Amit Shah Highlights Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s Legacy
Union Home Minister Amit Shah stated on Tuesday that there were efforts to erase and undermine Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s legacy, and he was deprived of the Bharat Ratna for a long time.
Flagging off a ‘Run for Unity’ ahead of Patel’s birth anniversary, Shah emphasized that it was due to the foresightedness and acumen of India’s first home minister that over 550 princely states were merged with the Union of India, leading to the country’s unification.
He noted, “It was because of Sardar Patel that the Lakshadweep Islands, Junagarh, Hyderabad, and all other princely states were integrated into India. But there were efforts to erase and undermine the legacy of Sardar Patel. He was also deprived of the Bharat Ratna for a long time,” while addressing the participants at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium here.
Shah mentioned that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, when he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat, had installed the tallest statue of Patel in Kevadia and honored him in a befitting manner. Sardar Patel was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna—the country’s highest civilian award—in 1991, 41 years after his death in 1950.
The Home Minister stated that the people of the country are now united and have dedicated themselves to fulfilling the Prime Minister’s dream of transforming India into a fully developed nation by 2047. “By 2047, India will be the leading country in the world in all parameters,” he said.
Shah explained that the ‘Run for Unity’ is typically organized on October 31, Patel’s birth anniversary, but this year it was held two days early due to Deepawali falling on that day. “Today is Dhanteras, and we are organizing the run on this auspicious occasion,” the Home Minister added.
The Modi government has been observing October 31 as ‘Rashtriya Ekta Diwas’ or National Unity Day since 2014 to promote and reinforce its commitment to preserving and strengthening the unity, integrity, and security of the nation.
Patel was born on October 31, 1875, in Nadiad, Gujarat. 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 programs recalling Sardar Patel’s contributions to unifying India are being organized as part of the National Unity Day celebrations. Last week, Shah announced that the government would commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel with a two-year-long nationwide program from 2024 to 2026 to honor his monumental contributions to the country.
