Jaipur, Nov 24 (NationPress) Rajasthan Agriculture Minister Kirodi Lal Meena asserted on Monday that had Vallabhbhai Patel served as India’s first Prime Minister instead of Jawaharlal Nehru, Pakistan and Article 370 would not exist, leading to a fully united India.

Meena claimed that the creation of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir stemmed from the choices made by India’s inaugural Prime Minister, Nehru.

He emphasized that a united India would have been ensured by Patel had he held the prime ministerial position.

While recalling the founder of the BJP, Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, he noted Mukherjee's resignation from Nehru’s cabinet in protest against Article 370.

“It was PM Modi who ultimately revoked Article 370, restoring true freedom and democracy to Kashmir,” he stated during his speech at the launch of the Jago Jago Ekta Padyatra in the Ramganj Mandi assembly constituency, coinciding with Sardar Patel’s 150th birth anniversary.

He further mentioned that the BJP aims to govern for the people’s welfare, rather than for political advantages.

“Our priority is the nation—over caste, party, and all else,” he asserted.

Meena also criticized the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of making “irresponsible” remarks, even regarding the military.

He referenced the unveiling of a statue honoring a soldier who died in the 1962 war in Bhilwara, asserting that Congress has overlooked such heroes.

In discussing national security, Meena claimed that only Prime Minister Modi has had the audacity to strike within Pakistan.

He noted that during Modi’s 11 years in office, no significant terrorist incidents occurred, adding that the recent event at the Red Fort has left the nation in shock, but Modi will ensure justice, even if the perpetrators are in hiding.

He accused Congress of “suffocating” democracy during the Emergency period under former PM Indira Gandhi.

“Those who suppressed the media and imprisoned leaders now claim that democracy is at risk,” he said.

Meena also alleged that the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes are misled by false narratives suggesting that Modi intends to dismantle the Constitution. “Jawaharlal Nehru was Ambedkar’s greatest adversary,” he asserted, adding that the BJP is committed to the principle of Antyodaya to uplift the impoverished.

In remembrance of tribal leader Birsa Munda on his 150th birth anniversary, Meena stated that Munda was a revolutionary who instilled fear in the British.

“His poisoning at the age of 25 only underscores his significance,” concluded the minister.