'Narendra Modi like Sardar Patel who worked towards unification of India'

Jharkhand Chief Minister Arjun Munda Monday compared Narendra Modi's Sadbhavana mission to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's acts and decisions which led to the unification of India around 1947.

"Sardar Patel took up the task of unification of India at the time of the independence... Now again such an effort is being launched from here in the form of Modi's Sadbhavana Mission. India is a peace-loving country and this message is being spread to every corner of the world through Modi's mission," Munda said at Gujarat University Convention Centre here, where Gujarat Chief Minister is on his fast.

Munda said he was from a tribal region, which was facing numerous problems. "There are many tribal communities in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Chhattisgarh and elsewhere. They have many problems. Naxalism has posed a major challenge before the country. There is more discontent than peace among the people," Munda added.

"While some forces are at work to destabilise our country, Gujarat is sending out a much-needed message of Sadbhavana...." he said.

Making an indirect reference to the Congress, Munda said when the country got independence, people dreamt of a peaceful and strong India, but that dream  was shattered by the acts of the people who had been ruling the country for many years.

"Gujarat has been spreading the message of peace from ancient times. But there were efforts to stop the spread of that message. Fragrance of good things can never be suppressed. It is now being spread to entire world in the form of Modi," Munda said.