Unity Against Divisive Forces: Yogi Adityanath on Patel
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has said that the nation must unite to fight the twin challenges of casteism and Jinnahism. He asserted that followers of Jinnah's ideology cannot claim to be true followers of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, and that a real admirer of Patel must place the unity, security and sovereignty of India first.
Addressing a tribute ceremony held on Thursday at Patel Park in Lucknow's GPO area, the Chief Minister spoke on the occasion of the 151st birth anniversary of Bharat Ratna and Iron Man Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. During the event, he paid floral homage at Patel's statue and administered the National Unity Day pledge to those present.
He pointed out that since 2014, the country has observed October 31 as National Unity Day, under the inspiration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Yogi Adityanath said that this year's 151st birth anniversary carries special meaning, as the double-engine government is creating an Employment and Industrial Zone in every district to honour Patel's legacy on the occasion of 150 years since his birth. The initiative is set to be launched today, he said, and it will ensure that no youth in Uttar Pradesh remains unemployed while providing organised skilling and job opportunities.
The Chief Minister reflected on Patel's life, stating that he was born in the small village of Karamsad in Nadiad, Gujarat. He said that Prime Minister Modi is keeping Patel's memory alive through the Statue of Unity at Kevadia on the banks of the Sardar Sarovar in Gujarat, the world's largest statue. This towering monument, he said, represents a leader who brought more than 563 princely states into the Indian Republic.
Recounting the independence-era challenges, Yogi Adityanath said Patel had sternly warned the rulers of Junagadh and Hyderabad that India knew other ways if they did not agree to reason. As a result, he said, the Nawab of Junagadh fled to Pakistan, leaving even his children behind, while the Nizam of Hyderabad, responsible for massacres, forced conversions and atrocities against Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists and Jains, was compelled to flee after the Iron Man's warning.
He also targeted Jawaharlal Nehru, the then Prime Minister, on the Kashmir issue. According to him, Nehru kept the Kashmir matter in his own hands, which led to the tribal invasion and left Pakistan-occupied Kashmir under Pakistan's control even today. He added that widespread killings of Hindus and Sikhs took place in the region. The Chief Minister further accused Congress of imposing Article 370 in Kashmir despite opposition from Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar.
Yogi Adityanath said that, under the guidance of Prime Minister Modi, the architect of 'One India, Best India', Home Minister Amit Shah had permanently consigned Article 370 to history and made Kashmir a complete part of India. He declared that India would no longer have two laws, and that there would be one Prime Minister, one Constitution and one national emblem, which he said was the dream of Sardar Patel and Dr Syama Prasad Mukherjee.
On the threats to national unity, the Chief Minister cautioned that when society is divided by caste, region or language, its stamina and capacity to resist are lost, just as a weakened immune system invites disease. Such weaknesses, he said, invite invaders to attack.
He called upon citizens to fight together against malicious attempts to question India's constitutional institutions and challenge the unity and integrity of the nation, saying this collective effort would be the true homage to Sardar Patel.
The Chief Minister praised the efforts of MLA Shashank Verma and his late father Patel Ramkumar Verma. Shashank Verma presented him a remarkable portrait of Sardar Patel created with wheat grains by well-known artist Shailendra Uttam. The Chief Minister also released the 'Patel Smarika 2026' along with other guests.