PM Modi, President Murmu honour Sardar Patel on 150th anniversary

President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday paid rich tributes to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his 150th birth anniversary, commemorating the legacy of India’s first Home Minister fondly remembered as the ‘Iron Man of India’.Marking the occasion celebrated nationwide as Rashtriya Ekta Diwas (National Unity Day), Prime Minister Modi visited the Statue of Unity in Gujarat’s Narmada district early in the morning. At the 182-metre-tall monument near Ekta Nagar, the world’s tallest statue, he offered floral tributes to Patel before proceeding to a nearby venue to administer the Ekta Diwas pledge and witness the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas parade.Since 2014, Patel’s birth anniversary has been observed as National Unity Day, symbolising the ideals of national integration and strength that the late leader stood for.
President Murmu extended her greetings to citizens on the occasion, urging everyone to take inspiration from Sardar Patel’s vision and dedication.“Let us, on the occasion of ‘National Unity Day’, unite together and resolve to build a strong, harmonious, and excellent India,” she said in a post on X, describing Patel as “a great patriot, visionary leader and nation-builder” who achieved the historic unification of the country through his indomitable courage and leadership.The President also paid floral tributes to the Iron Man at Sardar Patel Chowk in New Delhi and at Gantantra Mandap in Rashtrapati Bhavan.

‘लौह पुरुष’ सरदार वल्लभभाई पटेल के जन्म दिवस पर मैं सभी देशवासियों को हार्दिक शुभकामनाएँ देती हूँ। सरदार पटेल एक महान देशभक्त, दूरदर्शी नेता और राष्ट्र-निर्माता थे, जिन्होंने अपने अटूट संकल्प, अदम्य साहस और कुशल नेतृत्व से देश के एकीकरण का ऐतिहासिक कार्य किया। उनकी कर्मनिष्ठा और…

— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) October 31, 2025

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Delhi Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena, and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta also paid their respects at Sardar Patel Chowk, reaffirming the nation’s gratitude for Patel’s enduring contribution to unity and governance.Born on October 31, 1875, in Nadiad, Gujarat, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel played a pivotal role in India’s freedom struggle and in integrating over 560 princely states into the Indian Union after Independence.This year’s Rashtriya Ekta Diwas celebrations feature a cultural festival and a grand National Unity Day parade by police and paramilitary forces, including the BSF, CRPF, and state police contingents. Organised on the lines of the Republic Day parade, the event underscores India’s collective strength, diversity, and unity  values epitomised by Sardar Patel.