Tumakuru: Union minister V. Somanna has strongly criticised the Tumakuru district administration for “disrespecting the nation” by allegedly ignoring the official event held to commemorate Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s contribution to India’s unity and sovereignty.

Speaking at a public gathering in Tumakuru, Somanna said that despite being informed well in advance about the Ekta Yatra — an event organised by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to mark National Unity Day — the district administration failed to participate. “I had personally informed the district officials about the programme. Yet, they chose to ignore it. Government officers, whoever they may be, should not behave like puppets of the state government,” Somanna remarked.

He further stated that the Ekta Yatra was organised following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call to pay homage to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who played a pivotal role in unifying India after Independence. Somanna added that he would seek an official explanation through correspondence regarding the administration’s absence from the programme.

Ekta Yatra held in Tumakuru city:

The Ekta Yatra in Tumakuru was organised by the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports as part of nationwide celebrations. The march was flagged off by Union minister Somanna from the Tumakuru University premises and covered a distance of about 4 km through the city.

BJP legislators Jyoti Ganesh (Tumakuru City) and Suresh Gowda (Tumakuru Rural), along with several party leaders and a large number of students and youth, took part in the event, which carried messages of unity, integrity, and national pride.

PM Modi pays floral tribute at Statue of Unity:

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid floral tributes to India’s first Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel at the 182-metre-tall Statue of Unity in Gujarat’s Narmada district. Modi also witnessed the grand Rashtriya Ekta Diwas parade and cultural displays showcasing India’s unity in diversity.

Since 2014, following Modi’s first term as Prime Minister, October 31 — Patel’s birth anniversary — has been officially celebrated across the country as National Unity Day (Rashtriya Ekta Diwas). The day honours the legacy of the “Iron Man of India,” whose leadership was instrumental in integrating more than 500 princely states into the Indian union.