'Revoking Art. 370 BJP completed Patel's mission of unifying India'

New Delhi: Railway and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday underlined that the BJP government by revoking Article 370 of the Constitution from Jammu and Kashmir has "completed the incomplete work" of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel to unify the country and also fulfilled the dream of Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee.

Addressing the gathering here before flagging off the run for unity on the occasion of 144th birth anniversary of Sardar Patel, Goyal said, "Sardar Patel, who is also known as Iron man was first Home Minister of India and he played an important role in unifying the country as he brought the small princely states altogether."

"If Sardar Patel would not have been there then the map of India with several other princely states would have looked different," the Minister said, adding that even the Railways would have required permits to visit those states.

The Minister said, the work of unifying Kashmir with India which remained incomplete since then has been completed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah after revoking Article 370 and also getting it passed in both the Houses of Parliament with two third majority.

Goyal then pointed out that Mookerjee, who was also the first Commerce and Industry Minister of the country, had opposed the system of two constitution in the country and even protested against the permit system which was required to visit Kashmir.

"By revoking Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir, the BJP government has fulfilled the dream of Mookerjee and paid a true tribute to Sardar Patel on his birth anniversary," Goyal added.