Modi Offers Floral Tributes to Sardar Patel at Statue of Unity on National Unity Day

Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered floral tributes to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel at the Statue of Unity in Ekta Nagar, Gujarat, on Saturday, October 31, 2026, the 151st anniversary of Patel's birth.

October 31 is observed as National Unity Day, or Rashtriya Ekta Diwas. The government has marked the date since 2014. Modi reached the site in the morning. In a message he described Patel as the pioneer of Akhand Bharat and the Iron Man of the country, noting that Patel dedicated his life to building a strong, prosperous and capable India.

Patel was born on October 31, 1875, in Nadiad, Gujarat, and died on December 15, 1950. After independence in 1947 he served as India's first Home Minister and is credited with integrating more than 560 princely states into the Union. Union Home Minister Amit Shah also paid tributes and attended a Run for Unity event at Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in New Delhi on Friday.

In remarks at the celebrations, Modi recalled pledges made during the two-year observance of Patel's 150th birth anniversary. He stated that those resolutions had been fulfilled. He specifically noted a vow, made at Patel's feet during the 150th anniversary events, not to rest until Naxalism and Maoist terror were eradicated. He declared that the back of Left-Wing Extremism has been broken, with the number of Naxal-affected districts reduced from 126 in 2015 to zero by March 2026.

The Statue of Unity, completed in 2018, stands 182 metres tall and is the world's tallest statue. It faces the Narmada River near the Sardar Sarovar Dam. Annual tributes there have become a fixed element of the National Unity Day calendar. Local and national programmes, including runs and cultural events, accompany the central ceremony.

Modi's message linked Patel's historical role in territorial consolidation to current goals of a developed India by 2047. The reduction in Naxal-affected districts is presented as evidence that the earlier pledge has been met. Official figures show a steady contraction of the affected area over the past decade, with the final remaining districts cleared by early 2026 according to the government statement.

The observance on Saturday remained focused on the floral tribute and the accompanying message. No new policy announcements were attached to the ceremony itself. The event continues the pattern established since 2014 of using Patel's anniversary to emphasise national integration and institutional continuity.