E-Paper
Modi accuses Nehru of preventing Patel from integrating Kashmir entirely
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Kashmir was divided and given a separate Constitution and flag and the nation suffered for decades because of the Congress’s mistake
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel aspired to integrate the entirety of Kashmir into India just as he had successfully unified other princely states, but Jawaharlal Nehru prevented this from materialising.
“Sardar Patel believed that people should not waste time writing history but should instead work hard to create it,” Modi told a gathering after a parade marking the 150th birth anniversary of Patel, India’s first deputy prime minister, in Gujarat’s Ekta Nagar.
He said Kashmir was divided and given a separate Constitution and flag. “The nation suffered for decades because of the Congress’s mistake,” said Modi after paying floral tributes to Patel at the Statue of Unity, a monument to the country’s first home minister and independence movement leader.
He said Patel’s policies created history. “Post Independence, Sardar Patel achieved what seemed impossible—uniting more than 550 princely states. The vision of one India, a great India, was paramount to him.”
Modi cautioned that foreign infiltrators have been destabilising India’s demographic composition for decades, facilitated by the inaction of previous administrations. “Our nation’s unity and internal security are under serious threat from infiltrators. Regrettably, previous governments overlooked this problem in pursuit of vote-bank politics. For the first time, the country has adopted a decisive approach to safeguard its integrity,” Modi said.
“The country has decided to have a decisive fight against infiltrators. On Rashtriya Ekta Diwas, we should pledge to remove every infiltrator from this country.”
Modi said his government will not stop until Maoism is rooted out of the country. He slammed the Congress, saying it inherited “slave mentality” from the British who ruled India. “The country is removing every trace of colonial mindset,” he said.
Before his speech, Modi reviewed the National Unity Day parade of contingents from police and paramilitary forces. In a post on X earlier, Modi called Patel the driving force behind India’s integration, who shaped the nation’s destiny in its formative years. “His unwavering commitment to national integrity, good governance, and public service continues to inspire generations. We also reaffirm our collective resolve to uphold his vision of a united, strong, and self-reliant India.”
