Union Home Minister Amit Shah at an NDA election rally for the Bihar Assembly Elections on Thursday, October 30, 2025 in Lakhisarai. | Photo credit: ANI
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday announced that a grand parade will be held every year on October 31, the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, in Ekta Nagar, Gujarat, similar to the Republic Day parade in Delhi.
Addressing a press conference in Patna, Mr. Shah said that a special event was organized to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Patel and added that the Home Ministry had decided to institutionalize the annual parade from this year.
Mr. Shah said that Sardar Patel contributed immensely to the unification of the country after independence and to building modern India. He said that since 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been visiting Kevadia every year on October 31, where a parade is held in front of the Statue of Unity.
He said that the parade is being organized to honor all central armed police forces and state police forces thereby reaffirming the unity and integrity of the nation. The event will be held in front of the Statue of Unity, which symbolizes national unity, he added.
The Union Home Minister said that this year the Run for Unity is being organized on a much larger scale across all states, union territories, district police stations, schools and universities. “After the escape, every citizen will also take a unity pledge for the unity and integrity of the nation,” he said.
Mr. Shah said that to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Patel, Bharat Parv will be held in Ekta Nagar from November 1 to 15, coinciding with the birth anniversary of tribal icon Bhagwan Birsa Munda.
He said Bharat Parv will culminate with a grand celebration of tribal culture and programs on November 15. “It will showcase cultural diversity, food, costumes, crafts, folk art and music of tribes from across the country,” he said.
Mr Shah said Sardar Patel was “not just an individual but an ideology for the nation”. He described Mr. Patel as a leader totally committed to the country who played a key role in the freedom struggle and became the organizational pillar of the movement alongside Mahatma Gandhi.
Recalling Patel’s leadership of the Bardoli Satyagraha in 1928, Mr. Shah said it was during this movement that Mahatma Gandhi conferred the title of ‘Sardar’ on him.
He said that after independence, the British left the country divided into 562 princely states and the task of uniting them seemed impossible. “Within a short span of time, Sardar Patel accomplished the monumental task of integrating all the 562 princely states and the map of modern India that we see today is the result of his vision and efforts,” Mr. Shah said.
The Home Minister said that Patel has tackled one challenge after another, including police action in Hyderabad and the integration of Junagadh. “Whether it was Bhopal, Kathiawar, Travancore or Jodhpur, Sardar Patel tackled every problem with determination and even thwarted Pakistan’s attempt to create a corridor through Indian territory,” he said.
Mr. Shah said it was unfortunate that after the death of Sardar Patel, the opposition left no stone unturned to erase his legacy. He noted that Patel was awarded the Bharat Ratna 41 years late, which he attributed to disrespect by the opposition.
He added that no monument or memorial was built in honor of Sardar Patel until Narendra Modi as the Chief Minister of Gujarat conceived and built the Statue of Unity.
Mr. Shah said Prime Minister Narendra Modi will take the salute at a grand parade to be held on October 31 morning at Ekta Nagar.
Published – 30 Oct 2025 22:10 IST
