The nation on Thursday remembered Mahatma Gandhi on his 72th death anniversary with President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi leading the country in paying homage to the Father of Nation.
Kovind, Modi, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh offered floral tributes at Gandhi's memorial Rajghat where an interfaith prayer was held.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal were among those who paid homage to the Mahatma at Rajghat.
Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat and the three service chiefs - Admiral Sunil Lanba, Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria and General Manoj Mukund Naravane were also present.Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his death anniversary, saying the Father of the Nation will continue to inspire people to build a strong, capable and prosperous country.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the most renowned name in the history of India’s freedom struggle was shot by a right-wing fanatic, Nathuram Godse on January 30, 1948. During the days leading to the Mahatma’s death, he had been fasting in protest of the violence and massacre that had spread over the nation after the creation of Pakistan.
He was a strong supporter of maintaining India as a secular and a non-violent nation due to which he had been facing criticism. For Gandhi, democracy had to be based on the principles of equality for all irrespective of religion, caste and class.