Bhopal, Oct 31 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan Monday said that had the Kashmir issue been in the hands of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the portion of Kashmir occupied by Pakistan would have been with India.
Addressing a gathering on the occasion of 136th birth anniversary of Sardar Patel, the chief minister said: ‘Had the Kashmir issue been in the hands of the late Patel, the portion of Kashmir occupied by Pakistan would have been with India. He would have liberated every inch of Pak-occupied Kashmir.’
He also said that despite enjoying majority support, Sardar Patel was neither made the Congress president nor prime minister of India.
Addressing a gathering at Vallabh Bhavan Park in front of secretariat, Chouhan said: ‘Late Vallabhbhai Patel undertook important work of merger of princely states in the Union of India with firm conviction after Independence.’
‘Credit goes to Sardar Patel for the present shape of India. The Englishmen had left India after dividing the country into 60 parts.’
‘The British had left it to the will of princely states to merge into India. Sardar Patel carried out the responsibility of unifying India. Only the issue of Jammu and Kashmir was not in the hands of Sardar Patel.’
On Sunday, at Satna where he unveiled a statue of Sardar Patel, also known as the Iron Man of India, the chief minister named Nehru and alleged that Patel’s name was suggested for prime minister’s post ‘but Gandhi-ji decided to give it to Nehru, and made him only home minister and deputy prime minister. And Nehru announced ceasefire at a time when India could have annexed the whole of Kashmir.’
