On the occasion of the 146th birth anniversary of the First Deputy Prime Minister of independent India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said that Patel had foiled Britishers' conspiracy to balkanize India and resolved to establish 'Akhand Bharat'.
Addressing the 'Rashtriya Ekta Divas' (National Unity Day) program at Kevadia in Gujarat's Narmada district, Shah said, "National Unity Day has unique importance. Today's National Unity Day is a day of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav...After independence, while leaving, Britishers had conspired to divide the country into several pieces. Sardar Patel foiled that conspiracy and resolved to make 'Akhand Bharat'."
Earlier today, Shah paid floral tributes to Patel at his 182-metre tall statue, which is the tallest in the world. The statue was inaugurated in October 2018 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"Kevadia is not just the name of a place, it has become a shrine - a shrine of national unity, of patriotism. This sky-high statue of Sardar Patel is giving a message to the world that India's future is bright, that nobody can damage the unity and integrity of India," said Shah.
National Unity Day is celebrated in India on October 31. It was introduced by the Central government in 2014. Sardar Patel, who is credited with uniting all 562 princely states of the pre-independent country to build the Republic of India, passed away on December 15, 1950.
( With inputs from ANI )
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