Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday accused the Congress of neglecting the legacy of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, asserting that the “Iron Man of India” did not receive the honour and recognition he deserved from the governments of that era. Speaking at the National Unity Day (Rashtriya Ekta Diwas) celebrations held at the Statue of Unity in Ekta Nagar, Gujarat, Shah highlighted that it was only under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership that a fitting tribute was built in Patel’s name.

“Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was not given the adequate respect by the Congress government of that time. Sardar Patel was awarded the Bharat Ratna after a delay of 41 years,” Shah said in his address. He further added, “Neither a memorial nor a monument was built anywhere in the country. It was only when Narendra Modi became the Chief Minister of Gujarat that he conceptualized the Statue of Unity and built a grand memorial in Sardar Patel’s honor.”

The Home Minister praised Modi’s vision in ensuring that Patel’s contributions to India’s unification are remembered by future generations. He noted that the Statue of Unity, which stands at 182 metres, has become a global symbol of India’s unity, strength, and resilience — values that Patel embodied throughout his life.

Shah emphasised that Patel’s leadership was instrumental in the integration of over 500 princely states after Independence, turning India into a united nation. “Without Sardar Patel’s iron resolve and political foresight, India’s map today would have been very different,” he said.