The President of India Smt. Droupadi Murmu, Vice-President of India Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar, Union Minister for Home & Cooperation Shri Amit Shah and Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Shri Vinay Kumar Saxena paid floral tributes to the Iron Man Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, on his birth anniversary, in New Delhi.

The Home Minister flagged off the Run for Unity at Major Dhyan Chand Stadium in Delhi. Several dignitaries including External Affairs Minister Shri S. Jaishankar, Minister of State for External Affairs Smt. Meenakshi Lekhi and Union Minister of State for Home Shri Nishith Pramanik were present on the occasion. Shri Amit Shah also administered the oath of National Unity to those present during the event.

Shri Amit Shah expressed his condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the bridge accident yesterday in Morbi, Gujarat.

The Union Home Minister said today's program has special significance as we are celebrating the Azadi ka  Amrit Mahotsav. He said we are taking forward the important message of national integration on the birth anniversary of a man who laid the foundations of a modern India after Independence and devoted his  life in realizing its vision. Shri Shah said as soon as Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's name is mentioned, the map of today's United India comes ti mind, and if it was not for Sardar Saheb, then the vast, resolute, powerful India of today would not have been possible.

Shri Amit Shah said after Independence, the biggest problem faced by the country was to unite more than 500 Princely States and form an Indian Union and in its creation, the country's first Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Sardar Saheb played a major role. He said it was Sardar Sahib who with his skillful and unique political acumen united the whole country. Shri Shah said that even at that time anti-national forces had left no stone unturned in dividing the country, but it was due to the efforts of Sardar Sahib, that we see the integrated map of India, as it is today.

The Union Home Minister said today India is celebrating its 75th year of Independence under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi who has set a goal to collectively take a pledge as to where India will be in 2047.

He said the collective resolve of 130 crore people and the States of the country will surely be successful in creating the India of Sardar Saheb's imagination in 2047. Shri Shah said under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the country has achieved many milestones in the last eight years and has moved towards building a self-respecting, prosperous, strong and secure India by getting rid of all manifestations of slavery.

The Union Home Minister said India today stands proudly in  the comity of Nations by realizing the vision of the Iron Man Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel to unite the country. He said despite efforts to ignore the legacy of Sardar Patel for many years, he remained immortal due to his qualities and today Sardar Patel is an inspiration for the youth of the Nation. He said that today Unity Races are being organized across the country to take a pledge and follow the path of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

Remembering the great deeds of the Iron Man Sardar Patel, Shri Amit Shah appealed to countrymen to follow the path shown by Sardar Patel and fulfill his resolve by 2047.

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