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

The Union Home Minister flagged off the ‘Run for Unity’ organized on the occasion of National Unity Day at Major Dhyan Chand Stadium in Delhi. On this occasion many dignitaries including Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Shri Anurag Thakur, Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena, Minister of State for External Affairs Smt. Meenakshi Lekhi and Union Ministers of State for Home Shri Nityanand Rai, Shri Ajay Kumar Mishra and Shri Nishith Pramanik were present.

Shri Amit Shah also administered the oath of national unity to the people present.

Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah said that today is the 148th birthday of our country's first Home Minister and ‘Iron Man of India’, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and the entire country has been celebrating this day as National Unity Day every year, since 2014. He said that after independence, the British had left India fragmented, and at that time, the ‘Iron man of India’ Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel performed a huge task of creating the present day map of Mother India by uniting more than 550 princely states in a matter of a few days. Shri Shah said that it is the result of Sardar Patel's determination, devotion to duty towards the nation and intentions as solid as iron that today India stands with respect in front of the world after 75 years of independence.

The Union Home Minister said that Sardar Patel made an unforgettable contribution to uniting this vast country, spread from Kashmir to Lakshadweep, and this country can never repay his debt. He said that is why Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given due respect to Sardar Patel by building the World's tallest statue in Kevadiya. He said that today the entire country rededicates itself to the unity and integrity of the nation through the Run for Unity and the National Unity Day Pledge.

Shri Amit Shah said that today this National Unity Day has a historical significance as it is the first National Unity Day of the ‘Amrit Kaal’ beginning after the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’. He said that during the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has called upon the people of the country that the 25 years between the 75th and 100th year of independence are 25 years of ‘Sankalp Se Siddhi’.

We have to take a pledge to build such an India that at the time of the centenary of the country's Independence, we will be first in every field in the World. Shri Shah said that 130 crore people of the country have to take this pledge and the collective efforts to fulfill these resolutions is very important for the oath of National Unity Day. He said “ Let us all resolve together to make India first in the world in the next 25 years and work dedicatedly to realize Sardar Patel's dream”

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RK/AY/AKS