New Delhi:Mahatma Gandhi was on Friday fond-ly remembered on his 67th death anniversary with President Pranab Mukhe-rjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi leading the country in paying homage to the Father of the Nation. Mukherjee laid a wreath at Gandhi’s memorial at Rajghat.
Vice President Moham-mad Hamid Ansari and PM Narendra Modi accompa-nied by Union Urban Deve-lopment Minister Venkaiah Naidu also paid floral tributes to the apostle of peace. Congress President Sonia Gandhi and former PM Manmohan Singh were among the leaders who paid homage to the Mahatma at his memorial.
A two-minute silence in memory of Gandhi was observed. The three service chiefs, Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha, Admiral Robin Dhowan and General Dalbir Singh Suhag, paid tributes followed by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and Minister of State for Defence Rao Inderjit Singh. A gun salute was also given on the occasion. “My tributes to Pujya Bapu,” Modi tweeted. The Father of the Nation was assassina-ted on this day in 1948 here.
The Prime Minister also paid tributes, on the Martyr’s Day today, to all those who have laid down their lives for the country. “On Martyrs’ Day, I pay homage to each & every martyr who laid his or her life for our Nation. Their bravery & courage will always inspire,” he added. A multi-faith prayer service was organised and devotional songs were sung at Rajghat.
Singer-turned-Union Minister Babul Supriyo also paid tribute to the Mahatma by singing a soulful bhajan in Bengali. A group of singers sang devotional songs, including Maha-tma’s favourite bhajan, ‘Vaishnava Jana To.’ Modi attired in a cream kurta and brown Nehru-collared jacket could be seen tapping his toes gently to the tune of the ‘bhajans.’ School students and people from different walks of life had also gathered at the Rajghat to pay respect to the Father of the Nation. (PTI)
