Patna, Oct 31 Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on Saturday paid tributes to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his birth anniversary, saying the visionary leadership of the “architect of national integration” was a lesson for all that unity was India’s greatest strength.
At a state-level event, Choudhary garlanded Patel’s statue near Chitkohra bridge here.
In a post on X, the chief minister said, “Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel played a historic role in building an undivided India by integrating over 500 princely states. His visionary leadership, steely determination, and unyielding commitment to the nation’s interests teach us that unity is our greatest strength.”
Describing Patel as an “architect of national unity and integrity,” he urged people to embrace his ideals and resolve to safeguard the nation’s sovereignty.
Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary, Assembly Speaker Prem Kumar, Agriculture Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha, Revenue and Land Reforms Minister Dilip Kumar Jaiswal and Cooperation Minister Ram Kripal Yadav were among those who paid floral tributes to Patel.
At a separate Ekta Diwas programme at Bapu Sabhagaar in Patna, Choudhary announced that state government would install a statue of Sardar Patel, which would be the tallest statue of a freedom fighter or eminent personality in Bihar.
“Had Sardar Patel not been there, India would not have been as vast and united as it is today,” the chief minister said, adding that “work was underway under PM Narendra Modi’s leadership to make India a developed and economically strong nation by 2047.”
Modi was working through the ‘Make in India’ campaign to restore India’s strength and lost glory, and enable it to assert its capabilities globally, he said.
Choudhary also credited former CM Nitish Kumar for development works done in Bihar over the last two decades.
Referring to the healthcare sector, Choudhary said Health Minister Nishant Kumar was doing commendable work.
The government aimed to make Bihar’s healthcare system one of the best in the country over the next four years, he added.
“Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s life teaches us that India’s unity is its greatest strength. We should set aside mutual differences and work towards building a society where everyone gets an opportunity to grow and prosper,” Nishant Kumar said.
Patel was born on October 31, 1875, in Nadiad, Gujarat, and died on December 15, 1950. After Independence in 1947, he became India’s first home minister and played a key role in integrating more than 560 princely states into the Indian Union.
The Narendra Modi government has been observing October 31 as Rashtriya Ekta Diwas or National Unity Day since 2014 to reaffirm its commitment to preserving and strengthening the country’s unity, integrity and security.
(PTI News)
