“Hamare apne logon ko maut ke ghaat utar diya gaya (our own people were killed on that day). That incident was not a wound on the hearts of people of a particular religion it was a dagger into the heart of thousands of years of country's heritage and culture,” he said.
He also noted that it was also the death anniversary of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Remembering the contribution of Patel in the Independence movement, Modi said Mahatma Gandhi had entrusted him with planning of historical Dandi march which he successfully did.
“When we see Ramakrishna Paramhans he appears to be incomplete without Swami Vivekananda. Similarly when we see Mahatma Gandhi, he also appears incomplete without Sardar Patel,” he said.
Earlier welcoming the Prime Minister, Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu said, “Had Sardar Patel been the first Prime Minister of the country, history would have been different. This is how many people feel.” He also said the celebration was not aimed at belittling the contribution of any other political leader.
Sangh has always felt that successive governments had held the contribution of Jawahar Lal Nehru and those of the Nehru-Gandhi family in higher regards over others.
