One Nation One Election, UCC a Reality Soon: PM Modi on Unity Day in Gujarat

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday paid floral tributes to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel at the iconic Statue of Unity in Gujarat on the birth anniversary of the country’s first home minister.

Since 2014, Sardar Patel’s birth anniversary has been celebrated on October 31 as ‘Rashtriya Ekta Diwas’, or National Unity Day.

PM Modi arrived at the world’s tallest statue, dedicated to Patel, near Ekta Nagar in the state’s Narmada district in the morning and offered flower petals to pay his respects to the Iron Man of India.

He then left for a nearby venue, where he was scheduled to administer the Ekta Diwas pledge to a gathering and witness the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas parade, comprising 16 marching contingents, including those from nine states, one UT (Union Territory) police, four Central Armed Police Forces, NCC, and a band.

"This time the National Unity Day has brought a wonderful coincidence. On one hand, today we are celebrating the festival of unity and on the other hand, it is also the festival of Deepawali. Deepawali connects the whole country through lamps, illuminates the whole country and now the festival of Deepawali is also connecting India with the world. It is being celebrated as a national festival in many countries," PM Modi said.

He urged the people of the country to identify this nexus of “urban Naxals” which he said is trying to break the country.

“As Naxalism is ending in jungles, a new model of urban Naxals is raising its head. Today urban Naxals target even those who say that you will remain safe if you remain united. We have to identify urban Naxals and unmask them,” he said, Though there were people who were skeptical of India’s unification, Sardar Patel made it possible, said PM Modi, adding that the country will celebrate Patel’s 150th birth anniversary for the next two years.

“Our nation is moving towards implementation of ‘one nation, one secular civil code’ which will strengthen our country. We are trying to roll out the ‘one nation, one election’ initiative, which will strengthen our democracy,” he said.

PM Modi is on a two-day Gujarat visit from Wednesday. On the first day, he inaugurated and laid foundation stones for projects as well as new tourist attractions worth Rs 284 crore.
 

With Inputs From PTI…