PM in Guj on Thursday, to pay tributes to Sardar Patel on

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the 'Statue of Unity' at Kevadiya in Gujarat on Thursday to pay tributes to Sardar Patel on his 144th birth anniversary.

He will also participate in the 'Ekta Diwas Parade', visit a technology demonstration site and interact with civil service probationers at Kevadiya, a statement from the Prime Minister's Office said on Wednesday.

Since 2014, October 31 is observed as the National Unity Day and people from all walks of life participate in the 'Run For Unity'.

The prime minister would arrive here late Wednesday evening and spend the night at Raj Bhawan in Gandhinagar.

On Thursday morning, he would reach Kevadiya in Narmada district where he would first visit the 182-metre tall 'Statue of Unity', located near the Sardar Sarovar Dam, and offer floral tributes to the 'Iron Man of India', said a release issued by the state government.

The statue, world's tallest monument, dedicated to Sardar Patel, was inaugurated by Modi on October 31 last year.

After paying tributes to Sardar Patel, the prime minister would witness the 'Rashtriya Ekta Diwas Parade' by personnel of Gujarat Police and central armed forces.

Trained personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), National Security Guard (NSG), and from the police forces of Gujarat and Jammu and Kashmir will perform various demonstrations before the PM near the statue, said the release.

Modi would then address invited guests and people at the venue.

He would also inaugurate a 'technology demonstration site' at Kevadiya after his speech.

Later, in the afternoon, he would interact with around 450 civil service probationers from across the country. They are at Kevadiya since last one week for a foundation course of the Centre's Department of Personnel and Training.

The prime minister would also have lunch with the probationary officers, before proceeding to the 'Statue of Unity' for a group photo, the release said.

In the evening, Modi would leave for Vadodara airport from where he would be flown back to Delhi in an Air Force plane, it added.