Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Chief Minister Mohan Yadav reached Indore on Wednesday and participated in the Narmada Pravah Yatra – Unity March, organised to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. The march, which began from Nagpur, received a grand welcome in Indore before proceeding to Dhar, Jhabua and finally Godhra in Gujarat.
The Indore leg of the Yatra commenced from Sardar Patel statue, where CM Yadav offered floral tributes. He then joined the Unity March and addressed a public gathering. Thousands of citizens, youth groups, social organisations and cultural troupes also joined the event.
Along the route, several activities were organised, including a photo exhibition on Sardar Patel’s life, poetry recitals, commemorative writings, plantation drives, cleanliness campaigns, Swadeshi-themed exhibitions, cultural performances, folk dances, youth interactions and sports activities.
During their addresses, Yadav and Cabinet minister Kailash Vijayvargiya strongly criticised former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and his family, alleging wrong decisions that impacted national unity.
CM Yadav said that Congress “committed great injustice” toward several national leaders before and post-Independence, especially Sardar Patel. He stated that if Nehru had listened to Sardar Patel at that time, Article 370 would not have been imposed, and the nation would have avoided decades of repercussions in Jammu and Kashmir.
He further claimed that the implementation of Article 370 led to the loss of thousands of innocent lives and deprived India of a strategic land connection to Central Asia and Europe.
”If Patel’s advice was followed, PoK would have been with India”
Vijayvargiya praised Sardar Patel’s role in integrating 562 princely states into the Indian Union. He alleged that a major historical mistake occurred when, according to him, Nehru halted military action in Jammu & Kashmir while Patel intended to push forward.
Vijayvargiya claimed that if Patel’s approach had been followed, Article 370 would not have been introduced, and separatism and terrorism in the region might have been avoided. He added that in such a scenario, “the entire Kashmir, including the part currently in Pakistan (PoK), would have been with India.”
Expressing confidence in the current central leadership, he said that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, “the remaining part of Kashmir will also become part of India.”
