Patna: Amid the intensifying Bihar Assembly elections, Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced on Thursday that a grand parade, modelled on the Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi, will be held annually in Ekta Nagar, Gujarat, to mark the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on October 31. This year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will personally review the parade.
Speaking at a press conference at Hotel Maurya in Patna, Shah described Patel as a central figure in India’s freedom struggle and its post-independence unification. “Sardar Patel played a vital role in the freedom movement and in uniting the country after independence. But the Congress party left no stone unturned in forgetting him,” he said, criticising the opposition for delaying Patel’s Bharat Ratna recognition for 41 years.
#WATCH पटना, बिहार: राष्ट्रीय एकता दिवस पर केंद्रीय गृह मंत्री अमित शाह ने कहा, “हम सभी जानते हैं कि सरदार वल्लभभाई पटेल का आजादी के बाद देश को एक करने में, आज के भारत के निर्माण में एक बड़ा योगदान है। कल सरदार पटेल की 150वीं जयंती है…गृह मंत्रालय ने निर्णय लिया है कि इस वर्ष… pic.twitter.com/B3fKeZzQhh
— ANI_HindiNews (@AHindinews) October 30, 2025
Shah added that Patel’s birth anniversary, observed as National Unity Day, will no longer be a mere day of remembrance, but “a festival of national pride and inspiration”. He announced that this year’s parade, in celebration of Patel’s 150th birth anniversary, will begin at 7:55 am in Ekta Nagar.
The Union Home Minister further outlined plans for nationwide events, including a “Unity Run” across states, districts, universities, and schools. “We want every citizen to feel the spirit of Sardar Patel within themselves on this day,” he said, emphasising the symbolic importance of Patel’s efforts in uniting India’s 562 princely states.
Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai, who was present at the press conference, described the announcement from Patna as historic. “Bihar has always been a centre of national unity and brotherhood,” he said.
Shah framed the new celebrations as part of a broader vision of “One India, Best India,” highlighting Patel’s legacy in shaping the country’s geographical, cultural, and emotional cohesion.
