Lucknow, Dec 15: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday held Jawaharlal Nehru responsible for the extremism and separatism emanating from Jammu and Kashmir, alleging that India’s first prime minister made the region “controversial,” a legacy that continues to affect the nation.
Speaking at an event commemorating the 75th death anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Adityanath praised Patel for his role in integrating over 560 princely states into the Indian Union, citing the seamless integration of Junagadh and Hyderabad as examples of Patel’s strategic acumen.
Adityanath claimed that uncertainty over the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir led Nehru to intervene personally, which, according to him, resulted in the rise of extremism and separatism in the region.
He added that the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has fulfilled the vision of leaders like Sardar Patel and Syama Prasad Mookerjee by abolishing Article 370, thereby making Jammu and Kashmir an integral part of India under one constitution, one country, and one flag.
Born in Nadiad, Gujarat, in 1875, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was India’s first home minister and played a pivotal role in unifying the nation after Independence. He passed away in 1950.