large number of Ranchiites thronged at Main Road on Sunday to take part in the ‘Run for Unity’ programme organised to pay tribute to India’s first Home Minister Vallabhbhai Patel and gather support for the ‘Statue of Unity’. The world’s tallest statue is to be built on an island of Sardar Sarovar reservoir to in the remembrance of the Sardar who brought over 500 princely States under the Republic of India.
The race was flagged off by former Jharkhand CM Arjun Munda, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) State president Ravindra Rai and state Convener, Iron Collection Committee, Saryu Roy. The race, organised on the 63rd death anniversary of Patel, began at around 8 am in the morning from Sainik Bazaar and finished at Albert Ekka Chowk. As many as 2500 people, including school children and prominent faces from the BJP ran for the unity race in Ranchi.
The race also organised at 33 locations simultaneously including 24 district headquarters in Jharkhand. According to the BJP, around one lakh people in the State participated in the race at different locations. According to reports pouring in at the BJP’s office, maximum participation was witnessed at Jamshedpur with more than 8,000 people taking part in the race while in Ranchi as many as 2,500 people ran for unity.
The race was organised by Citizen for Accountable Governance and was supported by more than dozen other organizations, including the BJP. For the BJP, the race signifies a change that people desire in the governance besides a tribute to a great man popularly known as Iron Man. “This race is the beginning of making a better India,” said Roy.
Interestingly, the race also signals start of BJPs drive of collecting iron equipment used in agriculture. The drive will be conducted by Iron Collection Committee of BJP. The members of the committee will visit every panchayat and besides collecting iron equipment will spread awareness about prevailing political situation in the country. The committee will also collect soil from villages which will be stored in a special container.
“Our workers will try to reach people and through leaflets will try to apprise them with political situation in the country,” added Roy. Meanwhile, keeping in view the important political rally of its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, the state BJP has decided to go slow on equipment collection drive and vowed to increase the pace after the Vijay Sankalp Rally.
“Narendra Modi’s rally is scheduled on December 29. After the rally we will relentlessly pursue the objective,” concluded Roy.