At a programme in Dehradun, the Uttarakhand chief minister said Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's leadership and role in integrating more than 560 princely states laid the foundation for a united India. Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Saturday paid tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel at his statue near the Clock Tower in Dehradun, recalling his contribution to India's national integration and the building of a united country.