Rajnath Singh flags off #RunforUnity marathon in New Delhi

Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday morning inaugurated the ‘Run for Unity’ marathon from Major Dhyanchand Stadium in New Delhi.

Thousands of people from all over the country participated in the mega event to mark the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Renowned sportsperson and personalities from all walks of life also took part in this event.

What strength, what enthusiasm, what courage. When the old and the young run hand in hand, the nation races forward.

Glimpses from #RunForUnity this morning ?#SardarVallabhbhaiPatel #RashtriyaEktaDiwas pic.twitter.com/FfHzQInYTX

— PIB India (@PIB_India) October 31, 2018

In the meantime, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan also took part in the event from Oddisa while Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman participated from Chennai. Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda and Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal flagged off ‘Run For Unity’ in Guwahati.

Proud to be a part of #RunForUnity on #RashtriyaEktaDiwas to commemorate the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the Iron Man' of India. Delighted to see the people of #Bhubaneswar turning out in large numbers to pay their tributes to the architect of modern India. pic.twitter.com/MZj7GTdyNq

— Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) October 31, 2018

At least 2000 participants from Sports Authority of India (SAI), National Service Scheme (NSS) and National Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) also took part in ‘Run for Unity’ marathon.

Former five-time world boxing champion Mary Kom and gymnast Dipa Karmakar, the first Indian female gymnast in the history of the Commonwealth Games to win a bronze medal, also joined the marathon.

It is to be noted that Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s Statue of Unity, the tallest statue in the world, will be inaugurated today by PM Narendra Modi in Gujarat’s Sadhu Bet on his 143rd birth anniversary. Sardar Patel’s statue is the world’s tallest statue with a height of 597 feet and is built at the cost of over Rs 3300 crore.

As a tribute to Sardar Patel, the event is to encourage India to run together. The birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel is also celebrated as ‘Rashtriya Ekta Diwas’ (National Unity Day) to commemorate the legacy of India’s first Home Minister.

Patel was known for leading India’s freedom struggle from the front and was instrumental in unifying the country after partition for which he was referred to as the “Ironman of India”.

Also Read: Nation pays solemn tributes to ‘Loh Purush’ Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his 143rd birth anniversary