Uttar Pradesh Chief Yogi Adityanath on Monday blamed Jawaharlal Nehru for the extremism and separatism "emanating from Kashmir", and alleged that the first prime minister of India made the issue so "controversial" that it continues to sting the country even now.
Addressing an event on the 75th death anniversary of the country's first home minister, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, he referred to the integration of over 560 princely states into the Union of India and pointed to Junagadh and Hyderabad, which were prickly thorns in the process.
"All the Hindu princely states of India agreed to become a part of the Republic of India, but the Nawab of Junagadh and the Nizam of Hyderabad refused. Both had to be integrated into India. Through a bloodless revolution, solely due to Sardar Patel's wisdom, these two princely states became a part of India," Adityanath said.
He went on to say that there was uncertainty about the fate of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir.
"So, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru took the matter into his own hands. He made Jammu and Kashmir so controversial that it continued to sting India even after Independence. The country got extremism ('ugravaad') and separatism ('algaavaad') from Kashmir because of Pandit Nehru," the Uttar Pradesh chief minister claimed.
He added that the country is grateful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who, by fulfilling the dreams of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Syama Prasad Mookerjee, has abolished Article 370 in Kashmir, making it an integral part of India, while taking forward the resolve of one country, one constitution, and one flag.
"There were 567 princely states at the time of Independence, and they were integrated into the Republic of India. The country will always remember Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel as its architect. This is his creation," the chief minister said.
He pointed out that the Nawab of Junagadh and Hyderabad's Nizam did not want to join India, as the British gave the princely states the freedom to choose whether they wanted to join India or Pakistan, or maintain their independent existence.
Eulogising Sardar Patel, the Uttar Pradesh chief minister said the first home minister of India initiated numerous programmes in the country.
"Be it the restoration of the Somnath temple, the development of a mechanism to resolve various disputes within India, or giving the Indian Administrative Service its present form, all of this was made possible because of this great leader, Vallabhbhai Patel."
"It was the country's misfortune that just when India needed the glorious leadership of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel for a longer period, he passed away on December 15, 1950," Adityanath said.
Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak also spoke on this occasion.
Earlier, in a post on X, Adityanath paid tributes to Patel, saying, "On the death anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the architect of India's unity and integrity from north to south and east to west, and the 'Iron Man' and 'Bharat Ratna, ' we pay him our humble tributes!
"His tireless contributions to the country's internal security, self-reliance, and the empowerment of farmers, and his vision of 'Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat, Surakshit Bharat' (One India, Great India, Secure India), are an inspiration to us all," he said.
Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Pathak also paid their tributes to Sardar Patel.
In a post in Hindi on X, Maurya said, "Our humble tributes to the architect of India's unity and integrity, the first home minister and deputy prime minister of Independent India, 'Bharat Ratna', the 'Iron Man' Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, on his death anniversary!"
"'Iron Man' Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel successfully integrated the princely states, providing a strong foundation for the nation's unity and security. By connecting farmers, backward classes, and marginalised sections of society through cooperatives, he propelled the country towards self-employment and self-reliance. His life, imbued with duty, courage, and service to the nation, remains a constant source of inspiration for all of us," Maurya said on X.
Pathak took to X to say, "Humble tributes to the architect of modern India, the symbol of national unity and integrity, the first Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of independent India, Bharat Ratna, the Iron Man Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, on his death anniversary."
Born in Nadiad, Gujarat, in 1875, Patel was a pivotal figure in India's struggle for Independence. As the country's first home minister, he was instrumental in integrating over 560 princely states into the Indian Union post-Independence. He died in 1950.
