Jaipur, Oct 31 (IANS): Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma on Thursday paid floral tribute to the first Union Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his birth anniversary at the Chief Minister's residence.

Sharma said that Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, as the creator of modern India, played an important role in maintaining the unity and integrity of the nation.

“After independence, the determination with which Sardar Patel united the country is a source of inspiration for all of us,” he said.

The Chief Minister said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the historic initiative to celebrate the birth anniversary of Sardar Patel, who shared the vision of the unity of the country, as National Unity Day and under his able leadership, the resolution of 'Ek Bharat-Shreshtha Bharat' is being strengthened in the country.

He also flagged off the ‘Run For Unity’ marathon here on the occasion of ‘National Unity Day’ or Rashtriya Ekta Diwas’ or National Unity Day to commemorate the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

“The Run for Unity marathon organised on Sardar Patel’s birth anniversary reminds us of his incomparable courage and determination while giving the message of the importance of unity in diversity, the Prime Minister has built the world’s tallest statue, the Statue of Unity, in Gujarat to show the spread the message of the great personality of Sardar Patel across the world. For the construction of this statue, people from all over the country, including Rajasthan, contributed by donating iron. This is not a statue, but a symbol of India’s unity and integrity…,” he said.

He said that the way Sardar Patel united the country after Independence, the new generation should take inspiration from it and work dedicatedly for national unity.

The Chief Minister said that walking on the same path that Sardar Patel took to unite the country, Prime Minister Modi has worked to strengthen the resolution of ‘one country, one constitution and one flag’ by ending Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.

Modi government has been observing October 31 as ‘Rashtriya Ekta Diwas’ or National Unity Day to commemorate the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

Patel was born on October 31, 1875, at Nadiad in Gujarat. As India’s first home minister and deputy prime minister, Patel is credited for the merger of over 550 princely states into the Union of India.