Amit Shah unveils 11-ft statue of Sardar Patel in Jodhpur, pays tribute to his legacy

JODHPUR: Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Sunday inaugurated an 11-ft tall statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. The statue, weighing 1,100 kgs, is mounted on an 8-ft pedestal and stands as a tribute to the rarely seen contribution that Sardar Patel brought to India’s unity and governance. The event was attended by Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and other dignitaries.

Amit Shah told in his speech that for decades, Sardar Patel’s sacrifices, vision, and achievements were underpriced. He mainly pointed out Patel’s pivotal role in integrating more than 556 princely states into one Indian Union; it shaped the map of contemporary India. Shah also mentioned Patel’s role in integrating the princely states of Gujarat and Rajasthan into the nation despite all the conspiracies against such efforts.

Shah criticised former governments for never considering Patel’s legacy. In fact, he said, “For decades, the party dedicated to one family could not even construct a memorial for Sardar Patel. However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi honoured him by constructing the world’s tallest statue, the Statue of Unity, at Kevadia, Gujarat.

The home minister credited Sardar Patel’s resolve as one that helped to dispel Winston Churchill’s prophetic prediction that India would break up after gaining independence. “Today, India stands strong and united, with its economy ranked fifth globally, surpassing Britain,” Shah remarked.

Several issues that Patel could not complete within his lifetime, such as the scrapping of Article 370, the completion of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, the enactment of the Uniform Civil Code, the abolition of triple talaq, etc. Shah says this has been accomplished in ten years of Modi as PM by the leadership; he termed that Patel’s vision had come alive under the Modi government.

He pointed out that under Modi’s tenure, Article 370 and Article 35A were revoked, Jammu and Kashmir became an integral part of India, and Uttarakhand began implementing the Uniform Civil Code. The construction of the grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya and the abolition of triple talaq were also achieved. Shah highlighted India’s enhanced defence policy, citing surgical and air strikes following the Uri and Pulwama attacks as examples of Modi’s decisive leadership.