Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday attended a mega event held for the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas celebrations commemorating the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his 149th birth anniversary at the Statue of Unity in Gujarat. Currently, he is on his two-day visit to Gujarat.
Before addressing a gathering near the iconic Statue of Unity at Ekta Nagar in Gujarat’s Narmada district, the prime minister paid floral tributes to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Since 2014, the birth anniversary of Patel has been celebrated on October 31 as ‘Rashtriya Ekta Diwas’, or National Unity Day.
Addressing the crowd the prime minister said, "This time the National Unity Day has brought a wonderful coincidence. On one hand, today we are celebrating the festival of unity and on the other hand, it is also the festival of Deepawali," PM Modi said.
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PM Modi in Gujarat on National Unity Day: Top quotes
During his speech, PM Modi highlighted that some forces in and outside India were trying to destabilise the nation and spread anarchy to create a negative image of the nation in the world.
“Some forces in and outside India are trying to destabilise the country and spread anarchy to create a negative image of the nation in the world. They are trying to divide the country on caste lines and are against a developed India,” said the PM.
Terming them as the 'Urban Naxals', PM Modi further added, “As Naxalism is ending in jungles, a new model of urban Naxals is raising its head. Today urban Naxals target even those who say that you will remain safe if you remain united. We have to identify urban Naxals and unmask them.”
Reiterating Centre's debatable 'One Nation, One Election' proposal designed to synchronise all elections across the nation either on a single day or within a specific time frame, PM Modi said, “Our nation is moving towards implementation of ‘one nation, one secular civil code’ which will strengthen our country. We are trying to roll out the ‘one nation, one election’ initiative, which will strengthen our democracy.”
Moreover, speaking about the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, the PM said, “For the first time in 70 years, the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir has taken oath on the Constitution.”
"This is my biggest tribute to Sardar Saheb. For 70 years, Baba Saheb Ambedkar's Constitution was not implemented in the entire country. Those who chant the name of the Constitution have insulted it so much. The reason was the wall of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. Article 370 has been buried forever," he said.
