Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched a sharp attack on country’s first premier Jawaharlal Nehru, claiming he prevented Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel from fully integrating Kashmir into the Indian Union.
Addressing national celebrations on Sardar Patel’s 150th birth anniversary at the Statue of Unity in Ekta Nagar, Prime Minister Modi asserted that former Prime Minister Nehru’s “mistake” on Kashmir led to decades of turmoil and bloodshed in the region.
Mr. Modi referenced “Operation Sindoor” declaring the world has witnessed that India will “strike inside enemy territory” if challenged, underscoring the new reality that the country will “never compromise on its security and honour” and that “this is the India of the Iron Man, Sardar Patel.” He also raised the “grave threat” posed by infiltration to unity and the demographic balance.
“Many may not be aware that Sardar Patel wished for the complete integration of Kashmir, just as he had successfully merged other princely states,” Mr. Modi said.
He said independent India’s first Home Minister believed one should not waste time writing history, but “we should work hard to create history.” Modi noted the Kashmir region was ultimately divided by a separate constitution and emblem, remarking the initial error “engulfed the nation in turmoil for decades.” The PM’s address focused heavily on unity and security, infiltration, contrasting the “steely resolve” of Patel with the approach of post-independence governments, which he accused of adopting “spineless” policies.
Weak policies
“Due to the Congress’s weak policies, a part of Kashmir was lost to Pakistan, which then fuelled terrorism. Kashmir and the country paid a heavy price, yet the Congress always bowed to terrorism. The Congress forgot Sardar Patel’s vision, but we have not,” he told the gathering at the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas celebrations.
Modi blamed infiltration for disrupting India’s demographic balance and said that for the first time, the country has decided to fight this threat and will remove every infiltrator.
He highlighted Patel’s success in integrating over 550 princely states after independence.
Extending his critique beyond Kashmir, Mr. Modi said that successive post-Patel governments “did not demonstrate the same seriousness towards national sovereignty.” He pointed to challenges in the Northeast and the spread of Naxal-Maoist terrorism.
He drew a direct contrast between the past and his government’s tenure, asserting that after 2014, the nation “once again witnessed a steely resolve inspired by Sardar Patel.” “Today, Kashmir has broken free from the shackles of Article 370 and is fully integrated into the mainstream,” the PM said, adding, this move has made “Pakistan and the masterminds of terrorism” realise “the true strength of India.” He accused previous governments of prioritising “vote-bank politics” over national security while dealing with infiltration.
Battle against illegals
For the first time, the country has decided to fight a decisive battle against this threat, Mr. Modi said, adding he had announced the formation of a Demography Mission from the Red Fort in August.
The PM said while the government was addressing the issue, “some people are prioritising their own interests over the national interest” and fighting for the rights of illegal immigrants.
“They think that since the country was broken once, it can be done again and it doesn’t bother them,” he stated, adding that the truth is that if the security and identity of the country are threatened, every citizen will be at risk.
“Therefore, today, on National Unity Day, we must reaffirm our resolve. We will ensure that every illegal immigrant living in India is expelled,” said the Prime Minister.
He claimed the Congress demonstrated a “colonial mentality” by removing a portion of the national song, Vande Mataram, on religious grounds and asserted this act “laid the foundation for the partition of India.” “The day the Congress decided to break and divide Vande Mataram, on that very day, it laid the foundation for the partition of India. If the Congress hadn’t committed that sin, the picture of India today would be completely different,” Modi insisted.
Political untouchability
He criticised the practice of “political untouchability” and the marginalisation of leaders with differing ideologies, citing the neglect of stalwarts like Sardar Patel, BR Ambedkar, and Jayaprakash Narayan.
The PM noted the RSS was also subjected to attacks and conspiracies.
“An attempt was made to cast every person and idea outside of one party as untouchable. The mindset of attacking the country’s unity for political interests is a slave mentality. The Congress not only inherited power from the British, but also a slave mentality,” the PM said.
He highlighted his government’s efforts to honour all national figures, including the construction of the Statue of Unity; the Panchteerth dedicated to Ambedkar, and the Prime Ministers’ Museum to honour all former PMs.
Every tongue is a national language
The PM said every Indian language is a national language, and there has never been an attempt to impose one tongue on others.
He said language is an important pillar of India’s unity, and its hundreds of languages and dialects are a symbol of its open and creative thinking.
“Because here, no community or group has ever used language as a weapon. There has never been an attempt to impose one language on others. That is why India has become such a linguistically rich nation,” Mr. Modi said.
“Therefore, we consider every language a national language, and we are promoting every Indian language. We proudly say that India has Tamil, one of the oldest languages in the world. We have a treasure trove of knowledge, like Sanskrit. Similarly, every Indian language has its own unique qualities,” he stated.
He said the government wants every child to study and progress in their mother tongue, and citizens should also learn other languages.
The PM called on the nation’s 140 crore citizens to defeat every conspiracy aimed at breaking national unity and to work together to achieve the goal of a developed and self-reliant India.
Published – October 31, 2025 10:24 pm IST
