Gandhi Jayanti: Leaders resolve to keep following Bapu in quest to build Viksit Bharat

New Delhi, Oct 2 (PTI) Mahatma Gandhi's 156th anniversary on Thursday was celebrated in India and abroad, with leaders resolving to continue following his ideals and values of peace, non-violence, tolerance and truth to build a better India.

While leaders such as President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President C P Radhakrishnan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the nation in observing Gandhi Jayanti, the day was also celebrated abroad in the United Kingdom, Russia, China, Pakistan and other countries.

Chief Justice of India B R Gavai, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat also paid rich tributes to the Mahatma, reminding the nation of his ideals and sacrifices.

All-religion prayers were held and cleanliness drives were undertaken in several states and Union Territories, with governors, Lieutenant Governors and chief ministers exhorting people to follow swachhta as practised by Mahatma Gandhi.

In her message on X, President Murmu said, "On behalf of all citizens, I pay my humble tribute to the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, on his 156th birth anniversary. This is an occasion to dedicate ourselves to the ideals and values of the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi." In a post on X, Vice President Radhakrishnan said that through his life and teachings, Mahatma Gandhi showed the path of truth, love and selfless service to mankind.

Prime Minister Modi said his government will follow Gandhi's path for building a developed India.

"Gandhi Jayanti is about paying homage to the extraordinary life of beloved Bapu, whose ideals transformed the course of human history. He demonstrated how courage and simplicity could become instruments of great change.

"He believed in the power of service and compassion as essential means of empowering people. We will keep following his path in our quest to build a Viksit Bharat," Modi said on X.

CJI Gavai participated in the Gandhi Jayanti celebrations at the Mahatma Gandhi Institute in Mauritius, a release said.

Home Minister Amit Shah appealed to the people of the country to buy Khadi products worth at least Rs 5,000 every year as it would help provide employment to millions of people and bring light into their lives.

Paying floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at the Rajghat here, Sonia Gandhi said, "Today, the entire nation remembers Bapu, who showed the nation the path of truth, peace, and non-violence, and (former prime minister Lal Bahadur) Shastri, who played a crucial role in India's development through his unwavering determination." RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat also paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi and Shastri, and said, "Gandhiji's contribution to the freedom struggle is unparalleled, while Shastri's life and times exemplify devotion and commitment. They are examples of personal and national character which we have to emulate," he said.

Indian missions in Russia, China, Pakistan and several other countries on Thursday celebrated Mahatma Gandhi's 156th birth anniversary by garlanding his statues and highlighting the enduring relevance of his universal message of peace and non-violence.

The plinth of the Mahatma Gandhi statue at Tavistock Square in London, which was vandalised just days earlier, was restored to a gleaming white in time for the annual Gandhi Jayanti ceremony on Thursday.

An interfaith prayer meeting was held at Kirti Mandir, Mahatma Gandhi's birthplace in Gujarat's Porbandar on Thursday.

Gujarat Chief Minister and other leaders offered floral tributes to the revered Bapu. "As we remember the revered Gandhi Bapu, the image of a selfless saint, a devotee of non-violence, and a world citizen comes before our eyes..." he said in a post in Gujarati on X.

Paying rich tributes to Mahatma Gandhi and Shastri at Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the "double-engine government" is realising their dreams through policies on swadeshi, self-reliance and cleanliness.

Bihar Governor Arif Mohammad Khan and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi, saying that following his teachings, an atmosphere of brotherhood and harmony will prevail in society.

West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee paid their tributes to Mahatma Gandhi on the occasion. Describing Gandhi as a great leader whose name would forever be etched in golden letters in the pages of history, Banerjee recalled the profound teachings of peace and non-violence of the Father of the Nation.

Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya took part in a cleanliness drive in Guwahati. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said Gandhiji's timeless ideals of truth, non-violence and compassion continue to illuminate humanity's path, inspiring generations to strive for peace and harmony.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Thursday condemned the release of a special postage stamp and commemorative coin marking the centenary celebrations of RSS, and said India should be rescued from the "pitiful state" of celebrating an organisation, which shaped the thinking of a communal element who assassinated the Mahatma.

Paying floral tributes to a portrait of Mahatma Gandhi on his jayanti in Chennai, Stalin said India is a secular country and Mahatma Gandhi sowed the basic philosophy for it.

Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi on his 156th birth anniversary.

Vijayan also criticised the commemoration of the centenary of the RSS on October 1, saying that the organisation was banned following the assassination of the Father of the Nation.

"This is a decision that insults the Constitution," he said, referring to the release of a postage stamp and Rs 100 coin to commemorate the RSS centenary.

Gandhi Jayanti was also observed in other states and UTs across the country. PTI TEAM KSS KSS