Amit Shah: PM Modi Realised Sardar Patel’s Vision of a Unified India by Revoking Article 370
Home Minister flags off ‘Run for Unity’ on Sardar Patel’s 150th birth anniversary, says Modi restored Patel’s dream of ‘Akhand Bharat’ by fully integrating Jammu and Kashmir
New Delhi, Oct 31: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi fulfilled Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s long cherished dream of a unified India by abrogating Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir.
Flagging off the ‘Run for Unity’ event at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium on the occasion of Sardar Patel’s 150th birth anniversary, Shah hailed Patel’s monumental role in uniting 562 princely states into the Indian Union after Independence.
“At that time, the world believed it was impossible to unite 562 princely states into one nation. But Sardar Patel’s determination and vision gave India its modern map,” Shah said.
He added that while some provinces resisted integration, Patel resolved every issue with firmness and diplomacy. “Because of Article 370, Jammu and Kashmir could not be fully integrated into India. It was Prime Minister Narendra Modi who accomplished Patel’s unfinished task by removing the Article, giving India its true ‘Akhand Bharat’,” he said.
Criticising past Congress governments, the Home Minister said that they failed to give Sardar Patel his due recognition. “Despite being the architect of modern India, Patel received the Bharat Ratna 41 years late. No memorials were built in his honour until Narendra Modi, as Gujarat Chief Minister, conceptualised the Statue of Unity,” he said.
Shah highlighted that the 182-metre Statue of Unity was built in just 57 months using 25,000 tonnes of iron collected from farmers’ tools across the country. “This monument, made with over 90,000 cubic metres of concrete and 1,700 tonnes of bronze, has become a global symbol of India’s unity and engineering excellence,” he noted, adding that over 2.5 crore people have visited the statue since its inauguration.
Earlier in the day, Shah offered floral tributes at Sardar Patel Chowk in Delhi. In a post on X, he called Patel “a symbol of national unity, integrity, and the empowerment of farmers.”
“Sardar Sahab believed that the foundation of India’s progress lies in the prosperity of farmers. He connected farmers and the deprived classes with cooperatives to make India self reliant,” Shah said.
The Modi government has been observing October 31 as ‘Rashtriya Ekta Diwas’ (National Unity Day) since 2014 to honour Sardar Patel’s role in building a united India. Nationwide events, including a grand parade near the Statue of Unity in Gujarat, marked the occasion, with Prime Minister Modi taking the salute at the ceremony.
