PM Narendra Modi pays floral tributes to Sardar Patel at Statue of Unity

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid floral tributes to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the country's first home minister, at the Statue of Unity here on the occasion of Rashtriya Ekta Diwas on Thursday.

October 31, Patel's birth anniversary, is celebrated as Rashtriya Ekta Diwas (National Unity Day) since 2014.

As the prime minister offered floral tributes, flower petals were showered on the world's tallest statue by an Indian Air Force helicopter.

The 182-metre-tall statue of Sardar Patel was inaugurated by Modi on October 31 last year.

The PM also administered 'national unity pledge' to the gathering on this occasion.

The prime minister watched 'Ekta parade' in which personnel of the Gujarat Police, Jammu & Kashmir Police, Central Reserve Police Force and Border Security Force took part.

Mock drill demonstrations were conducted by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), National Disaster Response Force and National Security Guard.

CISF personnel gave a demonstration of how to deal with terrorists at airports, while NDRF demonstrated rescue operations during earthquakes and gas leakage.

The NSG presented a demonstration of how to foil a terrorist attack.