Sardar Patel doesn't belong to one party: BJP

Naidu was speaking at a workshop for BJP activists from southern states on the project of installing a giant statue of Sardar Patel in Gujarat, which is the brain child of BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.

He said Patel, Mahatma Gandhi and other national leaders of his times, including Jawaharlal Nehru, belonged to all. Congress was a platform for people and leaders who wanted to fight for the country's freedom, he said.

Hailing Sardar Patel as the unifier of the country, he said every action of Patel was a message. Brushing aside arguments as to why the statue needed to be installed instead of focusing on providing basic amenities to people, he said essential things like food should be taken care of, but Sardar Patel stood for unity and peace, which needs to be remembered.

(With PTI inputs)