Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that India’s first Home Minister, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, had wanted to fully integrate Jammu and Kashmir into India, but was prevented from doing so by then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

Speaking at the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas celebrations near the Statue of Unity in Ekta Nagar, Modi said, “Sardar Patel wanted to unite the entire Kashmir, just as he did with other princely states. But Nehru ji stopped his wish from being fulfilled. Kashmir was divided, given a separate Constitution and a separate flag, and the nation suffered for decades because of Congress’ mistake.”

Modi hailed Patel’s leadership in unifying over 550 princely states after Independence, calling it “an impossible task made possible.”

He added, “For Sardar Patel, the idea of

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