BJP to Celebrate Sardar Patel's Birth Anniversary Across the Country

NEW DELHI: After celebrating anti-Congress leader Jaiprakash Narayan’s birth anniversary throughout the country by sending various cabinet ministers across the states, the BJP will mark the anniversary of Sardar Patel in the same manner.

The official government function will be held in Delhi, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address youth at the Vijay Chowk, before flagging off a run for unity and administering pledge for the country’s unity. Modi will also garland Patel's statue near the Parliament. Home Minister Rajnath Singh and UD minister Venkaiah Naidu will also be present for the function to be held this Saturday.

Apart from the official function, the BJP will pitch in with organizing similar run for unity in different parts right up to the district level, as cabinet ministers have been deputed to each state. Sardar Patel's 140th birth anniversary on October 31, BJP chief Amit Shah will be in Bihar where he has been mostly camping in view of the Assembly polls.

After claiming the legacy of anti-corruption crusader Jaiprakash Narayan, BJP wants to use the image of Patel for building new iconography which is separate from the Nehru-Gandhi family. The BJP has asked its units to hold three events as part of the function – unity run, debates on Patel’s vision, and administer pledge.

"Due justice has not been done to his (Patel's) memory and contribution.  His contributions needs to be remembered today," said UD minister Venkaiah Naidu said. Among others, Nitin Gadkari will be in Mumbai, Uma Bharti in Kolkata, Kalraj Mishra in Kolkata and Harsh Vardhan will be in Varanasi, Modi's  Party general secretary Arun Singh said Shah, who has been camping in Bihar for weeks barring a few days of break, will be in the state to be part of the exercise. Last two phases of the state assembly

"All party chief ministers will take part in events in their states," Singh said.