The country needed the secularism of Sardar Patel and not that of vote bank politics, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday.
He was speaking at the foundation stone laying ceremony of a statue of Sardar Patel, country's first deputy prime minister, near the Sardar Sarovar Dam in Gujarat.
The Statue of Unity will be the world's tallest at 183 metres.
"I met the prime minister some days back. He said a good thing. The media misinterpreted it. The PM said Sardar Patel was true secular. I welcome his statement. The country today needs the secularism of Sardar Patel. It does not need the secularism of vote bank politics."
"He (Sardar Patel) was secular but that didn't come in the way of his rebuilding the Somanth Temple."
But Modi, the BJP's prime ministerial candidate, also subtly attacked the PM for saying in his speech on Tuesday at the inauguration of a museum on Sardar Patel that the freedom fighter was a Congress leader.
"Will we only honour those who are BJP members? We will honour all those who lived and died for the nation."
Hitting out at Congress' accusations that he (Modi) was trying to usurp Sardar Patel's legacy, Modi said leaders such as Rana Pratap, Bhagat Singh and Shivaji were not from the BJP but he respected them all.
Modi said though Mahatma Gandhi fought to free the country of untouchability, "political untouchability" still existed.
"We should not also try and remove political untouchability."
Modi said B.R. Ambedker was like god for the oppressed and the dalits and it did not matter which party he belonged to.
"It is not asked from which party he was. His life was an inspiration. It is joint legacy and we should be proud of it," he said.
"But when we built Mahatma Gandhi Mandir, no one challenged us. No one said Modi is from BJP but Gandhi was not from the BJP," he said.
He said earlier, the central government did not give out advertisements on Sardar Patel's birth anniversary on October 31.
"Not any more. This is the Gujarat effect," he said.
'Don't play politics on Sardar Sarovar dam'
He said the dam on Narmada was the dream of Sardar Patel and questioned the PM for holding up the completion of the Sardar Sarovar Dam on the Narmada river.
He said the PM must put the country before his party and allow the gates to be built on the dam. He said he was willing to give the credit for the completion of the dam to the central government.
"I request the Prime Minister that Mahaarrsta, Gujarat and Rajasthan need water and electricity,
I am willing to put a plaque that the government in Delhi did the work, don't even want to name Modi. Buut please, Let the work on the dam be completed. There should not be politics on this issue," he said.
"The voice of the poor, farmers and plants and animals of Gujarat will reach the Prime Minister.
The country's welfare more important than party's," he said.
'Statue of Unity will give India a global position'
Earlier, Modi said the statue, to be the world's tallest, will draw the world's attention to India.
"Why shouldn't India be seen with pride? Who cared about China in the earlier days. Then they made Shanghai.
World looked at Japan when it created bullet train," he said.
"It is important to do our global positioning. We need to emerge as a strong nation and there are various ways of doing it. The height of the state will force the world to look at India and the great leader," he said.
"The statue will be an inspiration for the country and a tourist attraction for the world," he said.
Highlights of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's speech:
-- Many people dreamt of this, made suggestions. That's how the statue of unity was born.
-- Decision has been taken to create a new garudeshwar taluka for the people of Narmada district.
-- It was dream of Sardar Patel that a dam be built on Narmada and its water is now going to Gujarat and other states.
-- Our govt spent more money on the project that all the previous governments. We are working to make true the dreams of Sardar.
-- Had it not been for dam's water, who would have helped us?
-- Why shouldn't India be seen with pride? Who cared about China in the earlier days. Then they made Shanghai.
-- World looked at Japan when it created bullet train.
-- It is important to do our global positioning. We need to emerge as a strength in the world and there are various ways of doing it.
-The height of the state will force the world to look at India and the great leader.
-- After Chanakya, the person who made the effort to unite the country was Sardar Patel.
-- Will we only honour those who are BJP members? No. We will honour those who lived and died for the nation.
-- Don't link Sardar Patel with any party. Don't divide legacy. It's a joint legacy.
-- We must end political discrimination.
-- PM said a good thing on Tuesday. The media misinterpreted it. He said Sardar Patel was a true secular. The country wants secularism of Sardar Patel and not the secularism of vote bank politics.
-- He worked to join the country and not divide it. I welcome the PM's statement.
-- B.R. Ambedker was like god for the oppressed and the dalits. It is not asked from which party he was. His life was an inspiration. It is joint legacy and we should be proud of it.
-- When we made Mahatma Gandhi Mandir, no one challenged us. No one said Modi is from BJP but Gandhi was not from BJP.
-- There were no government ads on Sardar Patel on his birth anniversary on October 31. Not any more. This is the Gujarat effect.
-- The next generation should get linked to history. There should be social system that tries to forget history. The statue will be intact for centuries.
-- Some people have taken the supari to finish Modi.
-- Country's welfare more important than party's.
Listen: Sardar Patel's speech on secularism
He was speaking at the foundation stone laying ceremony of a statue of Sardar Patel, country's first deputy prime minister, near the Sardar Sarovar Dam in Gujarat.
The Statue of Unity will be the world's tallest at 183 metres.
"I met the prime minister some days back. He said a good thing. The media misinterpreted it. The PM said Sardar Patel was true secular. I welcome his statement. The country today needs the secularism of Sardar Patel. It does not need the secularism of vote bank politics."
"He (Sardar Patel) was secular but that didn't come in the way of his rebuilding the Somanth Temple."
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi with L K Advani.
But Modi, the BJP's prime ministerial candidate, also subtly attacked the PM for saying in his speech on Tuesday at the inauguration of a museum on Sardar Patel that the freedom fighter was a Congress leader.
"Will we only honour those who are BJP members? We will honour all those who lived and died for the nation."
Hitting out at Congress' accusations that he (Modi) was trying to usurp Sardar Patel's legacy, Modi said leaders such as Rana Pratap, Bhagat Singh and Shivaji were not from the BJP but he respected them all.
Modi said though Mahatma Gandhi fought to free the country of untouchability, "political untouchability" still existed.
"We should not also try and remove political untouchability."
Modi said B.R. Ambedker was like god for the oppressed and the dalits and it did not matter which party he belonged to.
"It is not asked from which party he was. His life was an inspiration. It is joint legacy and we should be proud of it," he said.
"But when we built Mahatma Gandhi Mandir, no one challenged us. No one said Modi is from BJP but Gandhi was not from the BJP," he said.
He said earlier, the central government did not give out advertisements on Sardar Patel's birth anniversary on October 31.
People at the rally in Gujarat.
"Not any more. This is the Gujarat effect," he said.
'Don't play politics on Sardar Sarovar dam'
He said the dam on Narmada was the dream of Sardar Patel and questioned the PM for holding up the completion of the Sardar Sarovar Dam on the Narmada river.
He said the PM must put the country before his party and allow the gates to be built on the dam. He said he was willing to give the credit for the completion of the dam to the central government.
"I request the Prime Minister that Mahaarrsta, Gujarat and Rajasthan need water and electricity,
I am willing to put a plaque that the government in Delhi did the work, don't even want to name Modi. Buut please, Let the work on the dam be completed. There should not be politics on this issue," he said.
"The voice of the poor, farmers and plants and animals of Gujarat will reach the Prime Minister.
The country's welfare more important than party's," he said.
'Statue of Unity will give India a global position'
Earlier, Modi said the statue, to be the world's tallest, will draw the world's attention to India.
"Why shouldn't India be seen with pride? Who cared about China in the earlier days. Then they made Shanghai.
World looked at Japan when it created bullet train," he said.
"It is important to do our global positioning. We need to emerge as a strong nation and there are various ways of doing it. The height of the state will force the world to look at India and the great leader," he said.
"The statue will be an inspiration for the country and a tourist attraction for the world," he said.
Highlights of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's speech:
-- Many people dreamt of this, made suggestions. That's how the statue of unity was born.
-- Decision has been taken to create a new garudeshwar taluka for the people of Narmada district.
-- It was dream of Sardar Patel that a dam be built on Narmada and its water is now going to Gujarat and other states.
-- Our govt spent more money on the project that all the previous governments. We are working to make true the dreams of Sardar.
-- Had it not been for dam's water, who would have helped us?
Modi being welcomed by the party leaders in Gujarat.
-- Why shouldn't India be seen with pride? Who cared about China in the earlier days. Then they made Shanghai.
-- World looked at Japan when it created bullet train.
-- It is important to do our global positioning. We need to emerge as a strength in the world and there are various ways of doing it.
-The height of the state will force the world to look at India and the great leader.
-- After Chanakya, the person who made the effort to unite the country was Sardar Patel.
-- Will we only honour those who are BJP members? No. We will honour those who lived and died for the nation.
-- Don't link Sardar Patel with any party. Don't divide legacy. It's a joint legacy.
-- We must end political discrimination.
-- PM said a good thing on Tuesday. The media misinterpreted it. He said Sardar Patel was a true secular. The country wants secularism of Sardar Patel and not the secularism of vote bank politics.
-- He worked to join the country and not divide it. I welcome the PM's statement.
-- B.R. Ambedker was like god for the oppressed and the dalits. It is not asked from which party he was. His life was an inspiration. It is joint legacy and we should be proud of it.
-- When we made Mahatma Gandhi Mandir, no one challenged us. No one said Modi is from BJP but Gandhi was not from BJP.
-- There were no government ads on Sardar Patel on his birth anniversary on October 31. Not any more. This is the Gujarat effect.
-- The next generation should get linked to history. There should be social system that tries to forget history. The statue will be intact for centuries.
-- Some people have taken the supari to finish Modi.
-- Country's welfare more important than party's.
Listen: Sardar Patel's speech on secularism
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