Mysuru: Former MLC D. Madegowda said that Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel played a key role in securing Mahatma Gandhi’s approval for the partition of India at the time of Independence. 

He was speaking after inaugurating the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s birth anniversary celebrations organised at the Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) Administrative Council Auditorium in the Muktagangothri campus here recently. 

Madegowda said that although Mahatma Gandhi was initially opposed to the partition of the country, Patel explained its implications and persuaded him to give his consent. 

“Gandhiji agreed to partition only after Patel apprised him of its pros and cons. Following Independence, India faced the daunting task of integrating nearly 570 Princely States. Patel accomplished this through dialogue and persuasion, convincing their rulers about the need for national integration,” he said. 

He noted that Sardar Patel ordered military action against the Hyderabad State when its Nizam refused to accede to India. “Patel’s strong leadership enabled him to overcome several challenges in the post-Independence period. India’s unity and integrity would have been under threat had he not acted decisively,” Madegowda added. 

Stating that Bidar and Ballari became part of Karnataka only after the integration of the Hyderabad State, he said that Karnataka should always remember Patel’s contribution to national unity. He also expressed regret that Patel Jayanti was not being observed with due importance in the State. 

Madegowda highlighted Patel’s role in India’s freedom struggle and elaborated on his leadership during the Kheda and Bardoli Movements in Gujarat. 

KSOU Vice-Chancellor Prof. Sharanappa V. Halse, Registrar Prof. S.K. Naveen Kumar, Prof. Ramanatham Naidu, Dean of Studies N. Ananda Gowda and others were present.