LUCKNOW, Oct. 31 -- Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said India's first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru attempted to keep Jammu and Kashmir disputed while the nation's first deputy PM Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel shaped a united India by ensuring the integration of 563 princely states.

Adityanath made the remarks at the launch of the "Run for Unity" event in Lucknow, marking the 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Patel.

"The British wanted to divide India into multiple parts, so they gave the option to all the princely states to either join India or Pakistan or remain independent. Sardar Patel then shaped a united India by uniting 563 princely states, including Hyderabad and Junagarh. Only one state, Jammu and Kashmir, was wit...