Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday flagged off the “Run For Unity” marathon in New Delhi to mark the 142nd birth anniversary of freedom fighter and post-Independence Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

Sportspersons Dipa Karmakar, Suresh Raina, Sardara Singh and Karnam Malleswari were present at the Major Dhyan Chand Singh Stadium during the event.

In a speech on the occasion, Modi said that previous governments had tried to ensure that Patel’s contributions are forgotten. “However, the youth of India respects him and his contribution towards the building of our nation,” he said.

Political parties and governments may not accept his contributions, but the nation will not forget Sardar Patel, Modi said. “We are proud of his contribution to India before we attained freedom and during the early years after we became independent,” he added.

Pate’s birth anniversary is commemorated as the “Rashtriya Ekta Diwas” (National Unity Day), first introduced after the Modi government came to power in 2014. He is is credited with making efforts to unite key princely states with the Union of India immediately after Independence in 1947.