PM Modi pays homage to Sardar Patel on the anniversary of his death

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, paying tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his death anniversary, hailed him as the “iron man” who laid the foundation for a strong and prosperous India.

He said in a tweet that the path shown by him will always inspire us to protect the nation’s unity, integrity, and sovereignty.

Patel, a freedom fighter who became India’s first home minister and deputy prime minister, is credited with unifying the Union of India with hundreds of princely states after independence through a mixture of persuasion, dialogue and if necessary, even the use of force.

The prime minister often expressed his deep admiration and respect for him and was the brain behind Gujarat’s Statue of Unity project, a tribute to Patel, who died in 1950.