Salient Points of speech of Hon’ble BJP National President and Union Minister Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda while addressing Sardar Gatha Program in Vadodara, Gujarat
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was the one who made India a ‘Ek Bharat’. The unification of 562 princely states into one was proof of Sardar Patel’s extraordinary nation-building capability
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Sardar Patel merged 562 princely states, but the decision regarding Jammu & Kashmir was in the hands of Jawaharlal Nehru, due to which Jammu & Kashmir suffered for 70 years after independence. Pandit Nehru imposed Article 370 and turned Jammu & Kashmir into a state with a separate flag, a separate Prime Minister and a separate system
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It was Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee who raised a strong voice against Do Nishaan, Do Vidhaan and Do Pradhaan, in one nation and made the supreme sacrifice. The thorn of Article 370 was removed and Jammu & Kashmir was made a true and integral part of India by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji
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The fragrance of ‘Ek Bharat, Shresht Bharat’ that we feel today is the result of removing such thorns in between, and it is necessary to ensure that such thorns never appear again in the future. For the unity and integrity of the nation, a Modi government at the Centre is extremely essential
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Congress deliberately conspired to erase Sardar Patel and his legacy from history, to the extent that even senior Congress leaders of that time were prevented from attending his funeral
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A family within Congress installed statues of their own ancestors at every crossroads, but at every step they created obstacles in the installation of Sardar Patel’s Statue of Unity in Kevadia
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The Statue of Unity is not just a statue it is a symbol of the emotions of 140 crore Indians
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It was Hon’ble Shri Narendra Modi Ji who gave the message that our true tribute to Sardar Patel would be when soil from every village of India is brought and offered at the Statue of Unity located in Kevadia
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Hon’ble Bharatiya Janata Party National President and Union Minister Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda addressed the ‘Sardar Gatha’ program in Gujarat under the Sardar@150 Unity March on Saturday. Remembering the contribution of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel to the unity and integrity of India, Shri Nadda remarked that Sardar Patel integrated India by merging 562 princely states, laid the foundation of the administrative structure and strengthened the national movement by connecting with farmers. During the program, Union Minister Shri Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister Shri Virendra Kumar, Minister of State Smt. Rani Singh Bittu and MP Shri Hemant Joshi along with other leaders were present on the stage.
Shri Nadda while remembering Sardar Patel, stated that it is necessary to keep in mind that he was not only our national hero but a “Rashtrapurush”. As a Rashtrapurush, he performed the crucial task of turning the vision of our ancient nation into reality within just two years. Today we speak of “Ek Bharat, Shreshth Bharat and Viksit Bharat” but it was Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel who first made India “Ek Bharat.” Not only our generation, but four generations that lived through the four decades after independence, and many generations to come, will continue to remember Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel for his unmatched contribution in making India a united and great nation.
Hon’ble BJP National President highlighted that the life of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was a continuous journey of seeking truth and standing firmly with truth. He was a highly reputed barrister in Ahmedabad, and as a lawyer his reputation was well established. He had studied in London and was an outstanding student. He was well settled as a barrister in Ahmedabad, but on the call of Mahatma Gandhi he renounced his personal life and adopted the path of national service. It is important to understand that whether it was the Kheda Satyagraha or the Bardoli Satyagraha, both were farmers’ movements that exposed the injustice done by British rule. The crops were destroyed, the crops were ruined, yet the oppressive British government did not waive the revenue and attempted to collect it. Even though Sardar Patel was a barrister, he stepped out of the courtroom and, feeling the fragrance of his motherland, stood with the farmers. He led the Kheda movement. Later, the same injustice was inflicted upon the farmers of Bardoli and when oppression increased, Sardar Patel again took charge there. The British government had to retreat and Sardar Patel succeeded. He emerged as the leader of farmers. It was due to this that after the movements of Kheda and Bardoli, Vallabhbhai Patel became known as Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. The title Sardar became associated with his name and he moved from personal life into a larger social journey. He became the committee chairman in the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and later became the chairman of the Municipal Corporation. During British rule, the task of installing the statue of Lokmanya Tilak in Victoria Garden was also carried out by Sardar Patel, and today that place is known as Tilak Garden. It was also Sardar Patel who invited Mahatma Gandhi for the unveiling of the statue.
Shri Nadda asserted that Sardar Patel’s life was not only intellectually brilliant, but he also awakened the nation in a new way along with the freedom struggle. Therefore, when we remember Sardar Patel, it is important to keep in mind how he dedicated himself to strengthening the nation through courage, determination, commitment, and public service. Sardar Patel’s leadership ability was extraordinary. He spoke less, but his work spoke for him. It is not an ordinary task to integrate 562 princely states into one within a span of one to one-and-a-half years. Today, we all understand how difficult it becomes even to merge or separate one or two districts. Connecting 562 princely states was not easy even in those times; there must have been opposition, many must have refused to accept his word, but Sardar Patel knew that national interest is supreme. With affection, with persuasion, and when necessary, with firm action, he united everyone with the nation. He appealed to the youth to read history and see how Sardar Patel convinced several princely states, integrated others into unions, and made efforts at every level to unite all 562 states. When the rulers of Junagadh and Hyderabad took a different direction, their merger was ensured through military action as well. There was one princely state about which Jawaharlal Nehru said that he would personally make the decision because he was a Kashmiri. That princely state was Jammu and Kashmir. He said to leave that state for him, that he would take the decision. That very decision became the deep wound in the unity and integrity of the nation, which later came to be known as Article 370.
BJP National President noted that Sardar Patel had merged 562 princely states, but the decision regarding Jammu and Kashmir was taken by Jawaharlal Nehru, even though Maharaja Hari Singh was a Hindu ruler there. As soon as the Instrument of Accession was signed, any princely state would automatically merge into the Union of India. Sardar Patel convinced Maharaja Hari Singh for this, and Maharaja Hari Singh signed the instrument as well. Despite this, then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru imposed obstruction in the form of Article 370 and created a region where there was a separate flag, a separate Prime Minister, and a separate assembly. A law passed by the Parliament of India would be implemented there only when the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly passed it. This was a festering‐wound–like decision taken by Jawaharlal Nehru at that time. While remembering Sardar Patel, it is necessary to understand who worked for the unity and integrity of the nation, and where the decision weakening the country was taken. Due to the strong will of the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji and the strategy of Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah, Article 370 which was imposed in 1950–51 was abolished. On 5 August 2020, under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji, the Members of Parliament abrogated Article 370 with a two-thirds majority and legally integrated Jammu and Kashmir into one unit. Fulfilling Sardar Patel’s dream was accomplished by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji.
Shri Nadda pointed out that before 5 August 2020, there was no reservation in Jammu and Kashmir, there was no Scheduled Tribe seat, and even in the Lok Sabha there was no representation of Scheduled Tribes despite the fact that a large population of Gujjars, tribal communities and Muslim Gujjars lived there. Yet they had no position either in the Legislative Assembly or in the Lok Sabha. For the first time, a Legislative Assembly was formed in Jammu and Kashmir, in which Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes of Jammu and Kashmir received representation, and it was ensured that a Lok Sabha seat would also be reserved for Scheduled Tribes. The “Prevention Against Child Sex Abuse Act” was not applicable in Jammu and Kashmir, the domestic violence law was not applicable, and if a sister from Jammu and Kashmir married a non-Jammu and Kashmir resident, her right to property was abolished. It was for these reasons that Dr. Shyama Prasad Mookerjee had said that there will not be “Do Nishaan, Do Vidhaan and Do Pradhaan” in one nation, and for the same reason Sardar Patel had merged 562 princely states. But Jawaharlal Nehru created the festering wound of Article 370, which was removed by the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji, thus fulfilling Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee’s appeal. The fragrance of “Ek Bharat – Shresht Bharat” that the nation feels today is the result of removing these thorns, and it is necessary to ensure that such thorns never arise again in the future. The Congress Party conspired and intentionally tried to erase Sardar Patel from history to ensure that Sardar Patel’s name and remembrance disappear. It even went to the extent that senior Congress leaders of that time were prevented from attending his funeral ceremony. Although Dr. Rajendra Prasad was present there, the very day Sardar Patel took his last breath, Congress began its attempts to remove him from the pages of history and continued this effort for a long time.
Hon’ble BJP National President highlighted that Sardar Patel took his last breath in 1950. After that, Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi four Prime Ministers came, and four decades passed, yet Sardar Patel was never remembered. In 1991, almost forty years later, Sardar Patel was awarded the Bharat Ratna. It was Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji who, in the true sense, offered a tribute that matched the stature, leadership and contribution Sardar Patel made to the nation throughout his life. As the Chief Minister of Gujarat, Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji conveyed that since Sardar Patel was a farmers’ leader and had begun his life’s journey with the struggles of farmers, a true tribute to him would be when soil from every village of India is collected and offered at the Statue of Unity in Kevadia. Accordingly, soil was brought from every village. In this process, 140 crore citizens of the country became connected everyone sent soil from their village and their panchayat, and that soil is what resides today at Kevadia
Shri Nadda remarked that for the construction of the Statue of Unity, the blade of the plough used in a farmer’s field, the spade, the hoe, and every tool used to soften the soil, as well as old iron, were collected from across the country, and Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji personally took this responsibility in his own hands, and people across the nation contributed this iron from every household. The iron from every farmer’s tool and the soil from every village today rests in the foundation of the Statue of Unity in Kevadia. This 182-meter statue, the tallest in the world, is the pride of India. People in Gujarat say that when this statue was under construction, the Congress used to say that it was for election purposes, that nothing would change because of it, and that everyone would forget about it. Later, when this 182-meter statue was completed and became the tallest statue in the world, they began saying why so much money was being spent, what would happen by making a statue, and what the result would be. Congress erected statues of their own leaders at every crossroads, but when the 182-meter statue of Sardar Patel was installed, they questioned what it would achieve. Kevadia and the Statue of Unity are not just a statue; they are a symbol of the sentiments of 140 crore Indians.
Hon’ble BJP National President highlighted that through this yatra, various streams have been brought together, including the Ganga stream, the Narmada stream, the Yamuna stream, the Godavari stream and the Sabarmati stream. This yatra is being conducted as a tribute on the 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Patel, from his birthplace to his workplace, and becoming a part of this historic process in itself is significant because this is the very path that led the nation toward unity. Remembering the life and work of Sardar Patel, this yatra re-establishes the spirit of national unity and has received widespread public support. The manner in which the organiser committee, Shri Mansukh Mandaviya and his entire team have advanced this yatra is commendable. The dedication displayed by all the participants further strengthens this national resolve.
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