Paying tributes to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his death anniversary, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday hailed him as the “iron man” who laid the foundation of a strong and prosperous India.
The path shown by him will always inspire us to protect the unity, integrity and sovereignty of the country, he said in a tweet.
Patel, a freedom fighter who became India’s first home minister and deputy prime minister, is credited with unifying hundreds of princely states with the Union of India following independence through a mix of persuasion, dialogue and even use of force when required.