On Patel anniv, PM blames Nehru for Kashmir mess

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday invoked Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's legacy to target the Congress and its first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, accusing them of betraying Patel's vision for a united India by allowing the partition of Kashmir.

- FPJ News Service

Speaking at the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas celebrations at Ekta Nagar in Gujarat, Modi said Patel wanted to integrate Kashmir fully with India, just as he did with other princely states, but was stopped by Nehru.

Kashmir was divided, given a separate Constitution and a separate flag — and the nation suffered for decades because of Congress' mistake, Modi declared, addressing thousands gathered near the Statue of Unity.

The Prime Minister said Patel's life embodied the spirit of national integration and urged citizens to renew their pledge to strengthen India's unity and internal security. Sardar Patel believed that one should not waste time writing history but should work hard to create history, he said, adding that Patel's leadership turned the impossible task of merging more than 550 princely states into a single nation into a reality.

Modi also used the occasion to issue a stern warning against infiltrators, saying the government was committed to a decisive fight against illegal entry and demographic disruptions.

For decades, infiltrators have been entering our country and disturbing its demographic balance.