Ahmedabad, Oct 31 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday declared that the government “will not rest until the nation is completely free from Naxal-Maoist terror”, while addressing a massive gathering at Ekta Nagar during the grand celebration of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s 150th birth anniversary.

The Prime Minister’s message came amid the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas celebrations at the Statue of Unity, where lakhs of citizens across India took the unity pledge, reaffirming their commitment to national integrity and solidarity.

Paying floral tributes to Sardar Patel, whom he described as “the architect of a united India”, PM Modi said: “Devotion to Bharat Mata is the highest form of worship for every citizen.”

He highlighted how the government is working to strengthen the four pillars of unity — cultural integration, linguistic harmony, inclusive development, and national connectivity.

“Unity is the foundation of a nation’s strength,” he said. “As long as there is unity in society, the integrity of the nation remains secure. To achieve the vision of Viksit Bharat, every conspiracy to divide the country must be defeated with the power of unity.”

Drawing parallels between Sardar Patel’s unifying mission and the government’s development vision, PM Modi said the Centre has lifted 25 crore people out of poverty within a decade, fulfilling the Iron Man’s dream of an India free from want and inequality. He emphasised that connectivity — of hearts and infrastructure alike — is transforming modern India, linking every corner of the country through highways, expressways, railways, and airports.

Recalling historical challenges, the Prime Minister remarked that had Sardar Patel’s advice on Kashmir been followed, the region would have been “an inseparable part of India” from the beginning.

He said that the previous governments’ “weak and shortsighted policies” had led to terrorism and separatism, while his administration corrected those “historic mistakes” through decisive steps such as the abrogation of Article 370.

Referring to Operation Sindoor, PM Modi said it proved that “if anyone dares to challenge India, we will respond with greater strength and determination each time”.

He asserted that the eradication of Naxal–Maoist terror stands as one of the government’s biggest national security achievements in the past 11 years.

“Before 2014, Naxalites ran their own regimes in several regions. They dictated life and law, attacked schools, hospitals, and infrastructure. But today, the government has struck hard — breaking their backbone, defeating their ideology, and liberating the affected areas,” he said.

Standing at Ekta Nagar, PM Modi vowed: “Till the last trace of Naxal-Maoist terror is wiped out, this government will not stop.”

He also warned about illegal infiltrators, calling them a “serious internal security threat” who “distort demographics and exploit national resources”.

PM Modi accused previous governments of ignoring the issue for vote-bank politics but said India has now taken a “decisive stand” through the recently announced ‘Demography Mission’.

The Prime Minister also criticised those “who put self-interest before national interest” by supporting such infiltrators, saying they were willing to see the country divided again for political gain.

“On this Rashtriya Ekta Diwas, let us pledge that we will remove every infiltrator from Bharat to safeguard our unity and sovereignty,” he urged.

Concluding his address, PM Modi said: “When 140 crore Indians rise together, even mountains make way. When we speak in one voice, it becomes the roar of India’s success. We shall never be divided, never weakened — together we will build a strong, developed, and self-reliant Bharat.”

–IANS

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