'Jinnah Admirers Can Never Follow Sardar Patel': CM Yogi Blasts Caste Politics
Marking the 151st birth anniversary of Bharat Ratna Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on National Unity Day, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath launched an unsparing attack on divisive political currents, declaring that elements who revere Muhammad Ali Jinnah and fracture communities along caste lines can never be true disciples of the Iron Man of India. Paying floral tributes at the statue of Sardar Patel at the General Post Office (GPO) in Lucknow before administering the solemn National Unity Pledge to attendees, the Chief Minister drew an evocative medical comparison, stating that just as bodily illnesses strike when natural immunity drops, casteism, regional chauvinism, and linguistic parochialism act as social ailments that corrode a country's collective resistance and historically invited foreign invaders. He affirmed that an authentic follower of Sardar Patel is defined strictly by uncompromising patriotism, an ethos prioritizing national defense, sovereignty, and unity above all partisan calculations, which the double-engine administration continues to advance since Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared October 31 as Rashtriya Ekta Diwas in 2014.
Integrating 563 Princely States vs Kashmir Blunder: How Patel, Modi, and Shah Forged National Unity
Reflecting upon the monumental task of post-independence nation-building, Chief Minister Yogi highlighted how Sardar Patel successfully integrated more than 563 princely states into the sovereign territory of the Indian Republic through sheer resolve. He recounted how the Nawab of Junagadh fled to Pakistan abandoning even his family after Patel delivered a firm ultimatum, while the Nizam of Hyderabad—presiding over widespread massacres and forced conversions of Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Jains—was similarly compelled to capitulate to the Iron Man’s resolve. In stark contrast, Adityanath pointed to the historic mishandling of Jammu and Kashmir under India's first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, noting that keeping Kashmir out of Patel's purview resulted in tribal assaults, the emergence of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), and mass atrocities against minority communities. He recalled that despite explicit warnings from Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Article 370 was enforced on Kashmir, a historical wrong that was permanently buried under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to fulfill the shared dream of Sardar Patel and Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee: establishing one unified nation governed by one leader, one constitution, and one flag.
District-Wise Employment Zones Across UP and Safeguarding Constitutional Institutions
Connecting the civilizational legacy of Sardar Patel—born in Gujarat's Karamsad and immortalized today by Prime Minister Modi through the world’s tallest monument, the Statue of Unity along the Narmada River in Kevadia—with tangible state development, Chief Minister Yogi announced the rollout of "Sardar Patel Employment and Industrial Zones" across every district of Uttar Pradesh. The systemic economic initiative aims to eliminate youth unemployment by creating modern infrastructure for skill training, technological learning, and localized industrial recruitment across all 75 districts. Addressing recent political controversies, the Chief Minister warned against ongoing conspiracies to subvert the republic by casting doubts upon autonomous constitutional institutions, urging citizens to counter divisive rhetoric collectively. Commending local MLA Shashank Verma for coordinating the commemorative gathering and paying tribute to his late father Patel Ramkumar Verma, the Chief Minister concluded with an appeal to maintain social harmony, calling upon every citizen to participate in the 'Run for Unity' and actively contribute toward the realization of Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat.
