Union Home Minister Amit Shah flagged off ‘Run For Unity’ marathon from Delhi’s Dhyan Chand National Stadium, on the occasion of ‘Rashtriya Ekta Diwas’, marking the 144th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

Shah, in his address, credited the Narendra Modi-led BJP government for having scrapped Articles 370 and 35A, which he said, had been left untouched by the previous governments for the past 70 years.

He said that the Parliament fulfilled the “incomplete dream” of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel by revoking Article 370 and 35A from Jammu and Kashmir on August 5 as it had turned into a “gateway for terror” to enter.

“Article 370 had been the gateway for the entry of terrorism in the country. By repealing the Article from Jammu and Kashmir, Prime Minister played a role to establish a gate on the gateway to stop terrorism,” Shah said.

Noting that it took long 70 years to take that step ending special status to Jammu and Kashmir, Amit Shah mentioned that Patel had managed to integrate over 550 princely states but Jammu and Kashmir had remained out.

While remembering Patel, Shah also paid tributes to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi who was assassinated on October 31, 1984.

‘Run for Unity’ is a marathon dedicated to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Since 2014, October 31 is observed as the National Unity Day and people from all walks of life participate in the ”Run For Unity”.

Nearly 12,000 people, including 3,000 schoolchildren and 300 ex-servicemen along with a number of senior citizens, took part in the marathon last year in 2018.

The 144th birth anniversary of Patel is also promoted as ‘National Unity Day’ through a “Run for Unity” event.

This will be the first birth anniversary of Patel after India abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution that gave special powers to Kashmir. In rally after rally, BJP blamed First Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru for this contentious Article, stating that had Kashmir been left for Patel to handle, Article 370 would not have come into existence.

Delivering his sixth I-Day speech from the ramparts of Red Fort, PM Modi had earlier said the new Government has taken a major step towards realizing the dream of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

A few days later, Home Minister Amit Shah too said the Narendra Modi government has “fulfilled Sardar Patel’s dream” of uniting the nation by abrogating Article 370 of the Constitution that granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir.