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Gujarat polls ahead: Modi, BJP go all out to appropriate Sardar Patel

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8 years ago

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a gathering on the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas – to mark the 142nd birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel – at Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in New Delhi. Photo credit: PIB

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]To commemorate 142nd birth anniversary of Vallabhbhai Patel, Prime Minister flags of Run for Unity and claims earlier governments attempted to erase Patel’s legacy

As the country remembered India’s first home minister and deputy prime minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his 142nd birth anniversary, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his BJP also went all out to appropriate the ‘Iron Man of India’ who, ironically, had once banned the saffron party’s parent organisation – the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

As Modi flagged off the Run for Unity from a flamboyant event organised at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in the national capital to mark the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas – celebrated to mark Sardar Patel’s birth anniversary and his contribution in uniting India’s over 500 princely states into a composite Republic – it seemed too much of a coincidence that the BJP’s display of an ever-increasing fondness for Patel came weeks before the Gujarat assembly polls.

Modi launched a not-so-veiled attack at the Congress while underscoring the contributions of Sardar Patel towards building the Indian republic.

“There have been attempts to run down Sardar Patel, to ensure that his contribution is forgotten. But Sardar is Sardar, whether any government or any party recognises his contribution or not but the nation and the youth will not forget him,” Modi said while addressing the mega-event at the Major Dhyanchand National Stadium.

However, the rich tributes to Sardar Patel, which are obviously well-deserved and undoubtedly should have been made more often by previous Congress regimes, also have a great political significance for Modi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, home minister Rajnath Singh, minister of state for youth affairs and sports Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore flagging off the Run For Unity from the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium. Phot credit: PIB

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, home minister Rajnath Singh, minister of state for youth affairs and sports Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore flagging off the Run For Unity from the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium. Phot credit: PIB

Sardar Patel belonged to a humble agricultural land holding Patidar family from Gujarat, the home state of both, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP national president Amit Shah. The BJP currently faces its toughest poll battle in the past 22 years as Gujarat goes to polls next month and a major reason for this party’s troubles is the raging Patidar agitation in the state that is being led by Hardik Patel, who is threatening to align with the Congress to bring down the state’s saffron government.

In Gujarat, Sardar Patel is an iconic figure whose popularity as the ‘Iron Man of India’ and a hard-nosed realist in Indian politics during the era of Nehruvian socialism arguably surpasses that of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, and perhaps even of the Mahatma himself. By batting for Patel’s legacy and trying to project the BJP as the party that is fighting to get the Congress icon his true place in history, Modi is cleverly reaching out to the Gujarati electorate – especially the agitating Patidar community which has also chosen Sardar Patel as their icon.

Paying rich tributes to Sardar Patel, Modi said: “The British government wished that India was disintegrated into smaller states. But Patel used all means (saam, daam, dand, bhed, rajneeti, kutneeti) and succeeded in uniting all princely states into a single nation within a very small span of time,” he said.

The Prime Minister said that it was Rajendra Prasad – India’s first President – who had declared that India had become a united nation only due to the administrative acumen and strong leadership of Sardar Patel but that the country was not giving him due respect.

“Rajendra Babu must be happy now, wherever his soul may be, that we are remembering the contribution of Sardar Patel today even though some people tried to run down and erase his contribution. The nation will continue to remember Patel,” Modi declared.

The Prime Minister hailed Sardar Patel as “the main force behind upholding India’s unity and integrity at the time of Independence.”

In recent years, Modi and his BJP have made repeated attempts to appropriate Sardar Patel – a staunch Congressman, acolyte of Mahatma Gandhi and comrade-in-arms of India’s first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. In the absence of any freedom fighters within their own ranks who can be projected to rival the popularity and stature of Pandit Nehru, the BJP-RSS combine have repeatedly sought to take Sardar Patel for their icon. The saffron combine has floated misrepresentations and grossly exaggerated claims of how the Congress under Pandit Nehru “insulted” Patel and how, in the past six decades since the death of both Nehru and Patel, the Congress party has sought to erase the contributions of Sardar in an effort to ensure that the aura around Nehru doesn’t pale in comparison.

Modi’s efforts to showcase himself and his party as the force that is keeping Patel’s legacy alive have often led the Prime Minister and his party colleagues from making gaffes at public events while trying to portray the reportedly strained relationship between Pandit Nehru and Sardar Patel . The Prime Minister had once famously declared that Pandit Nehru had skipped the funeral of Sardar Patel in December 1950 – a lie that was immediately exposed by the Congress party which released video footage of the country’s first Prime Minister standing beside the funeral pyre of his deputy.

While there is no doubt that Sardar Patel had a huge role to play in uniting India and ensuring that the newly born country of multiple princely states, religions, castes and languages didn’t implode under the sheer pressure of its enormous diversity, Modi and his BJP’s bid to appropriate the icon’s legacy for incremental political and electoral gains in poll-bound Gujarat can’t be ignored either.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Dharmendra, Rohit Sharma and Piyush Pandey among Padma award recipients

Dharmendra, Rohit Sharma and several leading figures from cinema, sports and public service have been named among this year’s Padma Award recipients.

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4 hours ago

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January 26, 2026

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Dharmendra

Veterans from cinema, sports, public service and arts feature in the Padma Awards announced on the eve of Republic Day

Bollywood actor Dharmendra, former Indian men’s cricket team captain Rohit Sharma and late advertising professional Piyush Pandey are among the prominent personalities named in this year’s Padma Awards, announced on the eve of Republic Day.

The Padma Awards are among India’s highest civilian honours and are conferred in three categories — Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri — for distinguished service across various fields.

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Five individuals have been awarded the Padma Vibhushan, the country’s second-highest civilian honour. These include Dharmendra and former Kerala chief minister VS Achuthanandan, both honoured posthumously.

The other recipients of the Padma Vibhushan are KT Thomas for public affairs, classical violinist N Rajam for art, and P Narayanan for contributions to literature and education.

Padma Bhushan recipients

The Padma Bhushan awardees include former Uttarakhand chief minister and former Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, US-based Dr Nori Dattatreyudu, businessman Uday Kotak, veteran BJP leader and former MP VK Malhotra, actor Mammootty, singer Alka Yagnik, and Kerala community leader and SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan.

Late advertising stalwart Piyush Pandey has also been honoured with the Padma Bhushan posthumously.

Padma Shri awardees from sports and arts

Among the Padma Shri recipients are India women’s cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur Bhullar and former Indian men’s cricket team captain Rohit Sharma. Women’s hockey player Savita Punia has also been named in the list.

The Padma Shri honours further include former UGC chairman and JNU vice chancellor Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar, veteran actor Satish Shah (posthumous), and actor Prosenjit Chatterjee.

Key highlights of this year’s list

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The honours are given for contributions across disciplines such as art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, and civil services.

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The Padma Awards will be presented by the President of India at ceremonial functions held at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the awardees, stating that their dedication and service across diverse fields continue to inspire the nation.

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Nearly 10,000 kg of explosives seized in Rajasthan ahead of Republic Day

Rajasthan Police recovered nearly 10,000 kg of ammonium nitrate along with detonators and fuse wires from a farm in Nagaur district ahead of Republic Day, arresting one person.

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5 hours ago

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January 26, 2026

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explosives rajasthan police

Ahead of Republic Day, Rajasthan Police seized a massive consignment of explosives from a farm in Nagaur district and arrested one person in connection with the recovery, officials said on Sunday.

Acting on specific intelligence, a police team carried out a late-night raid on Saturday in Harsaur village. During the operation, officers recovered 9,550 kilograms of ammonium nitrate stored in 187 sacks from an agricultural field, Superintendent of Police Mridul Kachhawa said.

The accused, identified as Suleman Khan, a resident of Harsaur village, was taken into custody at the spot. According to police, he has three previous criminal cases registered against him.

In addition to ammonium nitrate, police seized a significant quantity of explosive accessories. These included nine cartons of detonators, 12 cartons and 15 bundles of blue fuse wire, and 12 cartons along with five bundles of red fuse wire.

During preliminary questioning, Suleman allegedly told investigators that the explosives were being supplied to individuals involved in both legal and illegal mining activities. A case has been registered under relevant provisions of the Explosives Act, the SP said.

Officials also pointed out that ammonium nitrate has been linked to major blast incidents in the past, including an explosion reported near Delhi’s Red Fort in November 2025.

Police said central agencies have been informed about the seizure and are expected to question the accused as part of a broader investigation.

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PM Modi greets nation on 77th Republic Day, calls for renewed resolve towards Viksit Bharat

PM Modi greeted the nation on the 77th Republic Day, calling the occasion a symbol of India’s pride and urging citizens to renew their commitment towards a Viksit Bharat.

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5 hours ago

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January 26, 2026

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PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended greetings to the nation on the occasion of the 77th Republic Day, urging citizens to renew their collective resolve towards building a developed India.

In a message shared on X, the Prime Minister said Republic Day symbolises India’s pride and honour and should infuse new enthusiasm among citizens. He added that the national festival must strengthen the resolve for a Viksit Bharat.

Republic Day is observed annually on January 26 to commemorate the adoption of the Constitution of India in 1950, marking the country’s formal transition into a sovereign, socialist, secular and democratic republic. The day holds historic importance as it reflects the culmination of India’s freedom struggle and the foundation of constitutional governance based on justice, liberty, equality and fraternity.

Grand celebrations at Kartavya Path

President Droupadi Murmu will preside over the Republic Day celebrations at Kartavya Path in New Delhi. The President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, are attending the event as chief guests.

Kartavya Path, stretching from Rashtrapati Bhawan to the National War Memorial, has been extensively decorated to reflect India’s journey of progress and achievement.

According to the Ministry of Defence, this year’s celebrations will showcase a blend of the 150-year legacy of the national song Vande Mataram, India’s development journey, military strength, cultural diversity and participation from people across the country.

Parade highlights and ceremonial traditions

The ceremony will begin at 10:30 am and is expected to last around 90 minutes. Prime Minister Modi will first visit the National War Memorial to pay homage to fallen soldiers by laying a wreath. He will then proceed to Kartavya Path along with other dignitaries to witness the parade.

The President of India, along with the European Council and European Commission presidents, will arrive in the traditional buggy, escorted by the President’s Bodyguard, the senior-most regiment of the Indian Army.

As per tradition, the National Flag will be unfurled, followed by the National Anthem and a 21-gun salute using indigenously developed 105 mm Light Field Guns. The salute will be presented by the 1721 Ceremonial Battery of the 172 Field Regiment.

Tableaux reflect self-reliance and cultural heritage

A total of 30 tableaux — 17 from States and Union Territories and 13 from Ministries, Departments and Services — will roll down Kartavya Path. The themes include Swatantrata ka Mantra: Vande Mataram and Samriddhi ka Mantra: Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

The tableaux will present a visual narrative of the legacy of Vande Mataram, India’s rapid development and the spirit of self-reliance, along with the nation’s rich cultural diversity.

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