Rajnath Singh pays tribute to Sardar Patel, stating that his national service was not previously highlighted

On Tuesday, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh complimented Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his 148th birthday for his role in bringing the nation together and made a subtle jab at the Congress by claiming that his national service had not been acknowledged before.

Since 2014, October 31 has been observed by the Central government as “Rashtriya Ekta Diwas,” or National Unity Day, to encourage and enhance its commitment to upholding and enhancing the country’s unity, integrity, and security.

“The role of Sardar Patel in uniting small princely states and creating a united India after Independence was not allowed to be prominently highlighted before the people of the country,” Singh remarked at a Lucknow gathering. It was restricted to a few individuals in India.”

“In 2013, when Narendra Modi ji was declared the prime ministerial candidate, our party (BJP) had organised this programme and at that time I flagged it off,” Singh said, asserting that the Narendra Modi government has been working for the past ten years to ensure that Sardar Patel receives the respect that he truly deserves.

As the defense minister, I am now kicking off the “Run for Unity” campaign after ten years. The purpose of this annual event is to teach the nation’s young the value of Sardar Patel and to draw inspiration from him for their own efforts to promote integrity and togetherness among the populace,” the speaker said.

In the presence of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Rajnath Singh launched the ‘Run for Unity’ event to commemorate the 148th anniversary of the nation’s first home minister’s birth.

The 1.5-kilometer race drew over 8,000 participants, including kids, NCC cadets, youngsters, athletes, running aficionados, and HAL staff.

The Union minister mentioned a few locations and said that if it weren’t for Sardar Patel’s vision, people would have needed passports and visas in order to visit these locations.

He argued that the problem of Article 370 would not have arisen if Sardar Patel had been assigned the task of handling the union of Jammu and Kashmir.

“While we remember and pay tribute to him on the birth anniversary of the first home minister of the country, we should also remember all the freedom fighters and leaders who liberated India (from British rule),” added the minister.

Regarding Sardar Patel’s contribution, the defense minister said, “On August 15, 1947, India gained its independence from British rule. At that time, the country was split into 562 princely states. Rather from uniting the princely realms, the British purposefully let them to stay independent. India as a whole was able to come together due of Sardar Patel’s leadership as the nation’s home minister.”

“Sardar Patel’s strategic-diplomatic acumen and insight allowed for the assurance of India’s integrity and unity. It’s likely that everyone has heard of the situations involving Nizamshahi (the Hyderabad Princely State) and Junagadh Princely State. These two princely republics were combined into India by Sardar Patel, according to Singh.

“Imagine if Sardar Patel had not shown wisdom and determination, today Indians would have needed visas and passports to go to Junagadh and Hyderabad,” he said.

Singh said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is introducing the “Mera Yuva Bharat Abhiyan” on this National Unity Day, enabling young people to participate in efforts to strengthen the country.

He added that the 182-foot-tall “Statue of Unity” that Prime Minister Modi had had built of Sardar Patel was located in Kevadiya, Gujarat.

It is larger than New York’s “Statue of Liberty.” No statue in the world is larger than the statue of Sardar Patel, which is fortunate for us, Singh said.

The minister of defense emphasized the significance of National Unity Day by stating, “Sardar Patel’s birth anniversary is a day of resolve for unity and solidarity and it is also a day for taking a pledge to maintain integrity.”

Sardar Patel was honored on this day by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, his deputies Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, as well as other dignitaries.

Adityanath asked everyone to unite and commit themselves to the country as she led the group in making a National Unity Pledge.

On the day of her martyrdom, Rajanth Singh also paid respects to the late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

On this day in 1984, Indira Gandhi, the first and only female prime minister of India, was killed by her bodyguards.