On Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel birth anniv, UP may get 39th public holiday

“It was the feeling of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav that it should be done. He asked us to give it in writing. We have submitted our letter in this regard,” Bal Kumar Patel said.

The move, if implemented, is expected to affect BJP, which highlights Patel as an icon and even undertook a campaign to construct his statue (Statue of Unity) in Gujarat —- a project that was launched when Narendra Modi was the chief minister of the state. “We are not bothered about BJP’s stand, we have been demanding this for quite some time,” Bal Kumar Patel said.

The Kurmi OBC community in UP, who constitute nearly seven per cent of population, regard Sardar Patel as their icon.

Akhilesh has already declared six holidays since after he assumed power in 2012. He has declared a holiday on December 6, the death anniversary of Bhim Rao Ambedkar, which was seen as an attempt to appease Dalits. He also declared holiday on the birth anniversary of former PM Chandrashekhar (April 17), Maharishi Kashyap and Maharshi Nishadraj Jayanti (April 5), Hazrat Ajmeri Garib Nawaj Urs (April 26), socialist leader and former Bihar CM Karpoori Thakur birth anniversary (June 24) and Maharana Pratap Jayanti (May 9).