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India is fighting Covid-19 and coming out of it: PM Modi at Statue of Unity
On the occasion of National Unity Day, PM Modi visited the Statue of Unity in Kevadia and paid his respects to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his 145th birth anniversary.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday 130 crore Indians have honoured frontline workers or corona warriors in their fight against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) and added that the country has proved its collective potential during the pandemic in an unprecedented way.
PM Modi’s comments came as India’s Covid-19 tally rose to 8,137,119 on Saturday after 48,648 fresh cases were registered in a single day and the death toll climbed to 1,21,641 with 551 new fatalities. The number of recoveries crossed the 7.4 million mark, pushing the recovery rate to 91.34 per cent, according to the Union health ministry.
“Nobody had imagined last year that Covid-19 pandemic would strike, but the country fought with collective strength and will, which is unprecedented in history. When other countries of the world are struggling against the pandemic, India has fought it bravely and is coming out of it,” he said.
Watch: PM Modi pays floral tributes to Sardar Patel at Statue of Unity
On the occasion of National Unity Day, PM Modi visited the Statue of Unity in Kevadia and offered flowers at the feet of the monument of Sardar Patel and paid his respects on his 145th birth anniversary. At the same time, rose petals were showered on the statue from helicopters.
He then headed to the parade ground and administered ‘national unity pledge’ to the gathering on this occasion.
Rashtriya Ekta Diwas, also known as the National Unity Day, is observed to commemorate Sardar Patel, India’s first home minister. Sardar Patel is credited with uniting all the 562 princely states of the pre-Independent country to build the Republic of India.
The Prime Minister also witnessed the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas parade by the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and administered a pledge for national unity. “Sardar Patel gave the present form to India by making the diversity of the country, power of free India by uniting the hundreds of princely states of the country. In 2014, we all started celebrating his birthday as a festival of the unity of India,” he said.
The Prime Minister said the entire country is paying reverence to the Iron Man of the country. “Today, once again, this country is repeating its pledge for the progress of the country under Sardar Patel’s guidance,” he added. “A humble tribute to Iron Man Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the pioneer of national unity and integrity, on his birth anniversary. Tributes to the great Sardar Patel on his Jayanti,” PM Modi had tweeted earlier in the day.
PM Modi said the seaplane service connecting the Statue of Unity in Kevadia of Gujarat’s Narmada district with Sabarmati riverfront in Ahmedabad will boost tourism in the area. “The seaplane service from Sardar Sarovar to Sabarmati Riverfront is also going to be launched today. For the vision of Sardar Patel, the countrymen will now also have the option of seaplane service to see the Statue of Unity. This will boost tourism in this area,” PM Modi said.
He also mentioned Maharishi Valmiki on his birth anniversary during his address. “It is also a wonderful coincidence that today is also Valmiki Jayanti. The cultural unity of India that we see today... The India we experience, the work of making it more vibrant and energetic was done centuries ago by Adikavi Maharishi Valmiki,” he said.
PM Modi is on a two-day visit to Gujarat, for the first time since the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) and the subsequent lockdown in March, to mark the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas.
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