‘If Sardar had been the first PM..’ Modi spoke, President heard

In presence of President Pratibha Patil, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today said, if Sardar Patel had been the first Prime minister of India, the situation in Jammu & Kashmir could be different today.

Modi speaking at inaugural function of new Sardar community hall at Shahibag in Ahmedabad said: “In November 1950, while lying on the deathbed Sardar Patel had written a letter to Nehru and warned him. In the letter he had written that India should reconsider and change its defence policy in reference to China. He said we should not come under the influence of China as it can pose a great danger to us. History has witnessed that how right he was in estimating the danger. Today also China is responsible for the rise of several problems,” Modi said.

Modi further added that if Sardar Patel had been the Prime Minister then Jammu and Kashmir would have been much peaceful.

“Sometimes a thought occurs to my mind, when bodies of our Indian soldiers after being shot by militants reach their native villages in Kashmir, when we see their widows whose dreams are shattered, though we salute their martyrdom, but we believe that this thought must have come to their mind that if Sardar Patel would have been the Prime Minister then militancy in Kashmir and death of young soldiers by militants would not have taken place,” said Modi.

“If son of a farmer(Sardar Patel) was the first Prime Minister of this nation, our farmers could be saved from situation of committing suicides,” Modi added.

Earlier in a message to the Sardar Smark Trust, UPA chief Sonia Gandhi clarified that there were no differences between Sardar and Nehru.

The function was attended by Sardar Smarak Trust chief Dinsha Patel, Vice President of the trust Karshanbhai Patel(Nirma), Governor of Gujarat Shri S.C.Jamir among others.

A photo history book about Sardar Patel edited by Dinsha Patel was also launched at the function.

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