Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], October 31: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh flagged off ‘Run For Unity’, on the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, in Lucknow. He also highlighted the Former Prime Minister’s role in bringing princely states together after 1947.
Singh remembered the former deputy Prime Minister Vallabbhai Patel’s contribution to unite India.
“When India became independent, it was divided into 562 princely states. The British deliberately gave the princely states a chance to decide whether to merge or remain separate. In such a situation, it is difficult to imagine today what difficult situation and challenge Sardar Patel would have faced as the Home Minister of the country. It was the result of Sardar Patel’s foresight and his diplomatic and strategic ability that the unity and integrity of India could be ensured”, Singh said.
“We are making efforts to give Sardar Patel the respect he always deserved. For the first time in 2013, as National President of BJP, I flagged off the first ‘Run for Unity’ in Delhi”, Singh remarked.
The ‘Statue of Unity’, dedicated to Sardar Patel, was inaugurated by PM Modi on October 31, 2018.
Sardar Patel’s birth anniversary is also celebrated as Ekta Diwas (National Unity Day) across the country.
Earlier this morning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid floral tributes to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel at the Statue of Unity at Ekta Nagar in Gujarat’s Narmada.
