Bikaner, Oct 31 (IANS) On the 151st birth anniversary of freedom fighter Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal on Saturday said that people across the country were pledging to uphold India’s unity and integrity and reaffirming their commitment to keeping the nation united by following the path shown by the ‘Iron Man of India’.

Speaking to IANS, Union Minister Meghwal said, “Today marks the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. On this occasion, people across the country pledge to uphold India’s unity and integrity. They reaffirm their commitment to keeping the nation united by following the path shown by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.”

He said that similar programmes were being organised across the country on October 31.

“An event was also organised in Bikaner with the participation of the district administration, police administration and social organisations. It was a grand and successful event,” Meghwal added.

Rajasthan Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore said that Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel gave India its unified form and that the strength of the united nation should never be taken for granted.

“The younger generation must also contribute to nation-building by recognising our diversity, respecting one another and keeping the nation first. When we gather and walk together on his birth anniversary, it symbolises our collective commitment to India,” Rathore said.

BJP Rajya Sabha MP Sat Sharma told IANS that the message of unity needed to reach every corner of the country.

“If anyone could unite the country and bring 563 princely states together, it was a visionary leader like Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Today, when we speak of India among developed nations, it is because we are a united country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has paid tribute to this great personality by dedicating the Statue of Unity to him,” Sharma said.

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, India’s first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, is widely remembered for his decisive leadership in integrating hundreds of princely states into the Indian Union following Independence. His efforts earned him the title of the ‘Iron Man of India’.

National Unity Day is observed annually on October 31 to honour his legacy and reinforce the message of national unity, integrity and solidarity.

–IANS

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