Modi flags off Run for Unity from Vadodara

The massive marathon,held across 1,000 venues,saw a participation of 40 lakh people,Modi said

BJPs prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi on Sunday flagged off the Run for Unity marathon in Vadodara,where over one lakh people had gathered at the Navlakhi grounds to mark the 63rd death anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

The massive marathon,held across 1,000 venues,saw a participation of 40 lakh people,Modi said,adding that the event should not be viewed through the prism of politics.

With this,the Gujarat government also expedited the programme to collect used iron tools from farmers across the country for Patels 182-metre Statue of Unity being constructed at Kevadia Colony in Narmada.

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Sardar Saheb was a farmer,so all farmers will be asked to contribute iron tools from their farm workshop,tools they no longer use…(Sardar) worked towards uniting the country. This work is being started today. By February,this work will be taken forward, he said.

Modi refrained from making any political comments. This exercise is an effort to unite the people of the country. So please dont measure this pious effort with the yardstick of politics. This is a work of patriotism,to unite the country, he said.

Over two lakh schools were approached to participate in the programme. An essay-writing competition on the meaning of unity was held across these schools,with over 5,500 winning schools distributing awards worth over Rs 2.5 crore,he said.

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