UP CM Yogi pays tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, recalls his role in "freedom movement and national unity"

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], December 15 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday paid tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, remembering him as the "Iron Man of India" and highlighting his contribution to the country's freedom movement and national unity.
Addressing a gathering, CM Yogi said, "Today the entire country is remembering the Iron Man Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and expressing gratitude for his services to the nation... He was born into an ordinary farmer's family, acquired higher education, the purpose behind which was not to take up a job in the foreign regime but to dedicate the benefits of his talent at the feet of Mother India by understanding the country and the world. He led the freedom movement. Endured the tortures of jail many times... He strongly opposed the partition of India as well."
Yogi Adityanath also referred to the historical context of Jammu and Kashmir after Independence. He said that the situation in the region had long remained contentious and went on to link it with recent political developments.
"Jammu and Kashmir was in the hands of Pandit Nehru. He made Jammu and Kashmir so controversial that it has continued to plague India after its independence... This country is grateful to the Prime Minister, who fulfilled the dreams of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, by ending Article 370 in Kashmir, to make Kashmir an integral part of the state of India," CM Yogi added.
Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on the 75th anniversary of his death, remembering the Iron Man of India for his pivotal role in unifying the nation and laying the foundation for a strong, undivided country.
Sharing a post on X, Prime Minister Modi said, "My respectful salutations to the Iron Man, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, on his 75th death anniversary. He dedicated his life to weaving the country into a single thread. The grateful nation can never forget his unparalleled contribution to the creation of an undivided and strong Bharatvarsha."
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, India's first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, is widely credited with the integration of more than 560 princely states into the Indian Union after Independence to build the Republic of India.
His leadership and firm resolve earned him the title of the Iron Man of India, and his legacy continues to inspire generations in nation-building and governance.
He passed away on December 15, 1950. (ANI)