Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's ironclad will united India: Rahul Gandhi

The Congress on Monday paid tributes to India's first home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his birth anniversary, with former party chief Rahul Gandhi saying the most fitting tribute to him would be to keep the flame of unity he ignited shining brighter than ever.

Patel is considered the chief architect of integration of the erstwhile princely states with the Union of India.

"Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's ironclad will united India. The most fitting tribute to him would be to keep the flame of unity he ignited shining brighter than ever," Gandhi said in a tweet.

The Congress, from its official Twitter handle, said, "We pay our heartfelt tributes to the Iron Man of India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, on his birth anniversary. It was for his iron will that the nation was weaved into a union."

"A great son of Bharat Mata, he continues to inspire us to fight the forces of hate & division," the party said.

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh hailed Patel on his 147th birth anniversary.

"In October 2011, I was privileged to deliver the Sardar Patel Memorial lecture in which I presented a side of his that is not very well know - his wit and humour," Ramesh tweeted.

"Irrespective of whatever the Distorians peddle, Patel and Nehru former an unique jugalbandhi for almost 30 years that shaped modern India," he said and shared a photograph of Nehru and Patel together.