Congress never ignored Sardar Patel's contribution: Sheila Dikshit

Downplaying Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remark that the Congress ignored Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's legacy, former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit on Tuesday said those who know or read the history, won't be astrayed by the Prime Minister's statements.

"Nothing like that, this is wrong. We have never ignored Sardar Patel's contribution. Sardar Patel and Nehruji both achieved freedom together for the nation. Those who knows or read the history, they won't be astrayed by such statements," she said.

The Prime Minister, while speaking at the 'Run for Unity' event to mark birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, had accused the Congress of making an attempt to erase the contribution of the first deputy prime minister of India.

"Patel's legacy was ignored by governments. The role of Sardar Patel was not introduced to the new generation of the country. Either an attempt was made to erase their contribution from history or an attempt was made to minimize it. Whether a political party accepts him grandfather or not, the country's youth will not allow him to be forgotten. The country's first President, Rajendra Prasad, also expressed his pain at an attempt to forget Sardar," Modi had said.

The birth anniversary of Sardar Patel is being celebrated across the country as 'Rashtriya Ekta Diwas' (National Unity Day).

Earlier, President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Modi, and Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu paid floral tributes to Sardar Patel.