sardar patel was freed in 1931, following an agreement signed between mahatma gandhi and lord irwin, the then viceroy of india. the treaty was popularly known as the gandhi-irwin pact. the same year, patel was elected as the president of indian national congress in its karachi session where the party deliberated its future path. congress committed itself towards the defense of fundamental and human rights. it was in this session that the dream of a secular nation was conceived.