Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday, 31 October 2026, accused the Indian National Congress of deliberately sidelining Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel throughout its years in power, asserting that the country's first Deputy Prime Minister was denied the respect he deserved for decades. Shah made the remarks at the 'Ekta Run' event in New Delhi, held to mark the 151st birth anniversary of Sardar Patel — observed nationally as Rashtriya Ekta Diwas (National Unity Day).

Shah's Charge Against Congress

'For many years, India did not accord Sardar Patel the respect he deserved. The Congress party consistently attempted to sideline and forget Sardar Sahab, but a radiant personality like his can never be erased from the nation's memory,' Shah said at the event. The Home Minister's remarks continue a long-running political contest over Patel's legacy, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) having positioned itself as the true custodian of Patel's memory since at least 2013, when the Statue of Unity project was announced.

Shah credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi with restoring Patel's stature, pointing to the construction of the Statue of Unity in Gujarat — the world's tallest statue — as a defining tribute. 'Through this monumental tribute, Prime Minister Modi introduced Sardar Patel's towering contribution and remarkable personality to the entire nation,' Shah added.

Patel's Role in National Integration

The Home Minister highlighted Sardar Patel's role in unifying post-independence India, stating that the task of integrating the princely states — work that could have taken an entire lifetime — was accomplished in just 1,218 days. 'Even if several leaders worked together, work that could not be accomplished in an entire lifetime was achieved by Sardar Patel in just 1,218 days, creating an undivided India,' Shah said. This integration, completed under Patel's watch as the first Home Minister, brought together over 560 princely states into the Indian Union after independence in 1947.

Drug-Free India and Naxalism Goals

Shah also used the occasion to reiterate the government's anti-Naxal and anti-drug targets. He said India had moved significantly toward becoming free of Naxalism by 31 March of the current year and appealed to citizens to help achieve a completely drug-free India by 31 December 2029. 'Today, on Sardar Patel's 151st birth anniversary, I appeal to people across the country to achieve our target of making the nation completely drug-free by December 31, 2029,' Shah said.

The Home Minister linked the drug-free goal directly to the broader vision of a 'Viksit Bharat' (Developed India), calling a 'Nasha Mukt Bharat' the first necessary step toward that ambition.

Article 370 and Landmark Decisions

Rounding out his address, Shah cited the abrogation of Article 370 as one of the Modi government's landmark achievements, describing it as completing the full integration of Jammu and Kashmir with India — a process he framed as the fulfilment of Sardar Patel's original vision of a unified nation. The Home Minister has regularly invoked Patel's integration legacy when defending the 2019 constitutional move on Jammu and Kashmir.

What's Next

The government's December 2029 drug-free deadline and the continued anti-Naxal push are expected to remain central themes in BJP's political messaging in the lead-up to several state elections. With Sardar Patel's birth anniversary now institutionalised as National Unity Day, the occasion is likely to remain a recurring platform for the ruling party to contrast its governance record with that of the Congress.