Sardar Patel one of the architects of Idea of India: Rahul Gandhi

Rahul Gandhi pays tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his 147th birth anniversary. (File)

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi Tuesday paid tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his 147th birth anniversary. Remembering the freedom fighter, he tweeted: “An embodiment of integrity & strength, Sardar Patel was one of the architects of Idea of India. My tributes to him on his birth anniversary.”

The Congress leader, who recently hit the campaign trail in Gujarat for the upcoming assembly elections, had visited the birth place of Sardar Patel in Kheda. During his Gujarat visits, Gandhi also said that Made in China’ will be written on the statue of Sardar Patel (to be installed at Narmada dam), which, he said, is a matter of shame.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Modi has flagged off a ‘Run of Unity’ in New Delhi in remembrance of the iron man. The 1.5-km run, from Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium to Shah Jahan Road radial, saw a large number of participants. The marathon, started by the Gujarat government in 2013 when Modi was the chief minister, is now organised across the country.

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was born on October 31, 1875 in Nadiad, a small village in Gujarat. He was India’s first home minister and was awarded Bharat Ratna in 1991 for his contribution to the nation.