Rivals BJP, Congress celebrate birth anniversary of ‘Iron Man’ Sardar Patel

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman commemorated the BJP’s yatra marking the 150th birth anniversary of Gandhi by leading the padayatra from the Aminjikarai market to TP Chatram in the city.

Earlier in the day, Sitharaman had tweeted, “Participating in the #Gandhi Sankalp Yatra #Gandhi150 in Chennai today. Also remembering #SardarPatel on his birth anniversary. In the services they both rendered for India, each did with striking simplicity.” Actor Gautami and senior leaders of the state BJP unit also took part in the event. Most of the cadre were clad in dhoti.

The padayatra with around 200 workers covered around two kilometres and remembered Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his birth anniversary. Union Minister Sitharaman also paid floral tributes to a photo of Sardar Patel at Gajapathi Street near Aminjikarai in the city.

“We are working on strengthening the Tamil Nadu BJP unit ahead of the upcoming civic polls,” a BJP headquarters functionary said, adding that the Union Minister was also briefed about the current political scenario in the state.

“We have also apprised the need for the appointment of a party state president ahead of the civic elections,” the senior functionary said.

The BJP in order to gain foothold in Tamil Nadu has been conducting rallies, running campaigns seeking retrieval of encroached temple lands and is also involved in enrolling new cadre. The state BJP secretary KT Raghavan had also been campaigning against the state’s plan to issue patta to those who are residing on temple lands for decades.

“Kings and philanthropists had donated several thousands of acres of land over centuries to temples. Instead of protecting them, the Tamil Nadu government is acting in favour of encroachers and setting a wrong precedent,”Raghavan told reporters.