Mamata remembers Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

Kolkata:  Chief Minister Mamata Banejree today remembered Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his birth anniversary amid controversy over the West Bengal government asking state institutes of higher education to ignore Centre’s directive of organising events to remember the Iron Man.

Banerjee greeted people on the National Unity Day. “Remembering the great Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his birth anniversary. Greetings to all my brothers and sisters on the National Unity Day,” Banerjee wrote on her Twitter handle.

The Centre had in 2014 declared October 31 as “Rashtriya Ekta Diwas” (National Unity Day) to mark the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. The Ministry of Human Resource and Development (HRD) had directed all Institutes of higher education in the country to conduct a ‘Unity Run’ on October 31.

State Education Minister Partha Chatterjee had yesterday said, “the Union government has no right to enforce anything on us. Paying tribute or respect cannot be on the basis of any directive from anyone. We specially take objection to the directive on video-recording the event and sending the same to the UGC.