Published 09:32 IST, October 31st 2020
Kangana Ranaut pays tribute to Sardar Patel on National Unity Day, 'regrets' his decision
Kangana Ranaut paid a tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his birth anniversary, celebrated as National Unity Day. She, however, 'regretted his decision'.
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The Statue of Unity has been one of the remarkable tributes for Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, and the venue was at the heart of the action on his birth anniversary on Saturday with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit. On Twitter, respect for India’s first Deputy Prime Minister poured in with terms like ‘Iron Man’ and more trending. Kangana Ranaut also showered praises on the leader, but ‘regretted’ his decision to 'sacrifice' the position of Prime Minister in favour of Jawaharlal Nehru.
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Kangana Ranaut’s message on Sardar Patel’s anniversary
It is said that both Sardar Patel and Jawaharlal Nehru were in contention to become the first PM of India after achieving independence from the British. The former was also a choice of a majority of leaders of the Congress committee but was apparently asked by Mahatma Gandhi to withdraw his candidature, and he obliged.
Kangana brought that out on Twitter and wrote that Sardar Patel had sacrificed his ‘most deserving and elected position’ just to please Gandhi because he felt ‘Nehru spoke better English’. The actor added that Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel did not suffer but ‘nation suffered for decades’ and also wrote, ‘we must shamelessly snatch what is rightfully ours'. Calling Patel the ‘real Iron Man of India’, she felt that Gandhiji wanted a ‘weaker mind’ like Nehru that he could ‘control and run the nation by keeping him in the forefront’.
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The Tanu Weds Manu star termed it as a ‘good plan’ but one that turned out to be a ‘big disaster’ after Gandhi’s assassination. Sardar Patel’s birth anniversary is also celebrated as National Unity Day, and Kangana highlighted that by describing him as a ‘man who gave us today’s akhand Bharat.’ However, she ‘regretted’ his decision to take his ‘great leadership and vision away’ by sacrificing his position as a PM.
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Tributes to Sardar Patel
The Ekta Diwas Parade was held in Sardar Patel’s honour at the Statue of Unity in Gujarat’s Kewadia on his 145th birth anniversary. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a two-day visit to his home state, was the chief guest. Apart from giving a floral tribute to the leader, as he had done after his win in the elections, he watched the numerous special performances to honour Sardar Patel.
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09:32 IST, October 31st 2020