New Delhi: On Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s 144th birth anniversary, President Ram Nath Kovind and Union Home Minister Amit Shah paid tributes to the first home minister of India, among others, on Thursday in the national capital.

Praising the Modi government which has been observing Patel's birth anniversary as 'Ekta Diwas' or National Unity Day since 2014, Shah said that by the revocation of Article 370 which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, this government has paid true homage to Sardar Patel.

Kovind, Shah, Union cabinet minister Hardeep Singh Puri and Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal accompanied by senior Home Ministry officials, paid floral tributes at Patel's statue located at the Patel Chowk here.

“Today, the United map of India that we see is only due to the efforts of Shri Sardar Patel. After gaining independence, the British had divided the country in over 550 enclaves The entire world thought that India, broken into 550 parts, would break down. How could a country, divided into 550 pieces, gain speed? This was a major problem,” Shah said.

“Mahatma Gandhi had then decided that the task to unite all regions to form a united India was given to the firs Home Minister, Shri Sardar Patel ji. Since that day, he worked tirelessly until the country was united as the Indian union,” he said further.

Shah also flagged off Run for Unity in the Delhi’s Dhyanchand stadium on Thursday morning.

Patel was born on October 31, 1875 at Nadiad in Gujarat. India's first Home Minister, Patel is credited for merger of over 560 states into the Union of India.

As part of celebrations, various programmes are being organised across the country, recalling Sardar Patel's contribution to unification of India.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is attending a special function being organised in Kevadia in Gujarat, where a giant statue of Patel is located.