Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday accused the Congress party of not paying due respect to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the first Home Minister of independent India.
"Congress never gave due respects to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. It forgot him, who unified India. I congratulate the Prime Minister that he unveiled the world's tallest statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel today. That is the true tribute to him," Chouhan said at an event here.
The Chief Minister said that it was unfortunate that Sardar Patel could not become the Prime Minister of the country.
He said, "Had he not been there, India wouldn't have been unified. Had Kashmir been in his hands instead of Jawaharlal Nehru, its one-third part wouldn't have been with Pakistan. It was unfortunate that Sardar Patel wasn't a Prime Minister. What Congress did to him, need not be said again."
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 182-metre tall 'Statue of Unity' as a tribute to the iconic freedom fighter on his 143rd birth anniversary.
The statue stands on a ground, which is spread on an area of over 20,000 square meters in Sadhu Bet Island near river Narmada in Gujarat. The vast land is surrounded by a 12 square kilometre long artificial lake. The cost of the total project is estimated to be Rs. 2,989 crore. The structure has the accolade of being the tallest statue in the world.
The birthday of India's Iron Man is being observed as Rashtriya Ekta Diwas or National Unity Day since the year 2014. The day is being marked by people taking a pledge to protect the unity and integrity of the nation and is also Run for Unity events across the country.
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