Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Friday, leveraged the commemoration of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's 150th birth anniversary to emphasise that India's current approach toward its adversaries is "decisive, strong and visible to the world".
Delivering his address at the Statue of Unity in Gujarat, he stated that Operation Sindhoor had conveyed an unmistakable signal that "India can enter enemy territory and strike".
"During Operation Sindoor, the entire world saw that if anyone dares to raise an eye towards India, Bharat ghar mein ghus kar maarta hai (India hits back into the enemy's territory). Today, Pakistan and handlers of terrorism know what India's real strength is," the Prime Minister remarked, connecting the nation's firm security strategy to Sardar Patel's dream of a self-reliant and cohesive India.
Utilising the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas (National Unity Day) event, the Prime Minister criticised the Congress party, claiming it had "forgotten Patel's vision". PM Modi explained that Patel's principles directed the government's handling of both foreign dangers and domestic issues like Naxalism and infiltration.
"Before 2014, Naxalites ran their own rule across large parts of the country. Schools, colleges and hospitals were blown up, and the administration looked helpless. We acted firmly against urban Naxals, and today, the results are visible -- from 125 affected districts earlier, only 11 remain, and Naxal dominance is confined to three," he said.
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PM Modi further cautioned that infiltration represented a serious danger to India's cohesion. "For the sake of vote banks, previous governments endangered national security. Those fighting for infiltrators don’t care if the nation is weakened. But if the country’s security and identity are at risk, every citizen is at risk," he said.
Reaffirming his administration's position, he declared, "We must resolve to remove every infiltrator living illegally in India".
In wrapping up his address, PM Modi referenced Patel's emphasis on unity amid diversity. "In a united India, diversity of ideas must be respected. There can be differences of opinion, but not differences of heart," he said.
Prior to his speech, PM Modi paid floral tributes at Sardar Patel's 182-metre Statue of Unity and led the Ekta Diwas pledge for the assembled crowd. National Unity Day has been celebrated annually on October 31 since 2014 to honour Patel's contributions to unifying India following Independence.
Also Read: PM pays homage to Sardar Patel on 150th birth anniversary
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