New Delhi, Oct 31 (IANS): Union Home Minister Amit Shah attended a programme organised at Sardar Patel School in Delhi on the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Addressing the students, he said that there is a general opinion in the country that had Sardar Patel been India's first Prime Minister, India would not have faced most of the problems it is facing today.
In view of the Morbi tragedy in Gujarat, the programme was cut short and it began after observing a minute's silence. Shah told children that Sardar Patel got maximum votes in the Congress Working Committee. He could have become the Prime Minister but he chose otherwise.
Shah added that Patel was the force behind India's cooperative movement in the form of AMUL. The map of India would not be like it is today without Sardar Patel's efforts. It would be incomplete. If Jammu & Kashmir is the country's crown, that is also because of him.
The Home Minister also mentioned that India is the fifth largest economy in the world, surpassing Britain. "The country has left behind the ones who ruled it for 150 years."
"Sardar Patel has also gave us mature democracy. It was he who gave the task of drafting the Constitution to Ambedkar and also intervened to balance it," Shah added.
He went on to say that after 75 years, the country is now secure. "No one can insult the border or the Indian army today. Sardar also brought forth 80 crore citizens who led different lifestyles."
Shah expressed hope that India would be close to the leading countries of the world in the next 2-5 years.