Sardar Patel deprived of Bharat Ratna for long: Amit Shah
PTI
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Tuesday that efforts were made to erase and undermine Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's legacy.
Flagging off a 'Run for Unity', ahead of the birth anniversary of Patel, he said it was due to the foresightedness and acumen of the country's first home minister that over 550 princely states were merged with the Union of India and the country became united. He said it was because of Sardar Patel that the Lakshadweep Islands, Junagarh, Hyderabad and all other princely states were merged with India.
"But there were efforts to erase and undermine the legacy of Sardar Patel. He was also deprived of Bharat Ratna for a long time," Shah said while addressing the participants at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in the national capital. However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi (when he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat) had installed the tallest statue of Patel in Kevadia and honoured him in a befitting manner, he said.
Sardar Patel was bestowed with Bharat Ratna - the country's highest civilian award - posthumously in 1991, 41 years after his death in 1950.
Flagging off a 'Run for Unity', ahead of the birth anniversary of Patel, he said it was due to the foresightedness and acumen of the country's first home minister that over 550 princely states were merged with the Union of India and the country became united. He said it was because of Sardar Patel that the Lakshadweep Islands, Junagarh, Hyderabad and all other princely states were merged with India.
"But there were efforts to erase and undermine the legacy of Sardar Patel. He was also deprived of Bharat Ratna for a long time," Shah said while addressing the participants at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in the national capital. However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi (when he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat) had installed the tallest statue of Patel in Kevadia and honoured him in a befitting manner, he said.
Sardar Patel was bestowed with Bharat Ratna - the country's highest civilian award - posthumously in 1991, 41 years after his death in 1950.