Gujarat CM pays tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at his birthplace, says PM working on his vision

Porbandar, Oct 2 (PTI) Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Thursday paid rich tributes to Mahatma Gandhi on his birth anniversary and noted his vision on cleanliness, swadeshi and welfare of the poor was being taken forward by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Patel visited Gandhiji's birth place Porbandar, a costal town, and paid floral tributes to him at Kirti Mandir, a memorial dedicated to the Father of the Nation.

"Mahatma Gandhi started a movement for uplifting the poor and developing rural areas. It was Prime Minister Modi who took forward Mahatma Gandhi's vision. PM Modi brought good governance which helped in the upliftment and welfare of the poor, marginalized, and the downtrodden," said the CM in his address at the memorial.

The PM always gave priority to realize Gandhiji's mantra of cleanliness, the CM emphasised in a reference to the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan initiated by the Government of India on October 2, 2014.

"PM Modi made cleanliness a public movement by picking up the broom and setting an example in the world. The Swachh Bharat Mission launched by the PM brought a revolution in India in terms of cleanliness as people from all walks of life now give importance to maintaining cleanliness," he said.

Modi has also realized Gandhiji's dream of 'Antyodaya' (a concept rooted in development of the last person in society) by launching a host of welfare schemes for the poor and the downtrodden, Patel maintained.

On the lines of the Mahatma's insistence of embracing 'swadeshi', the PM is also promoting 'Vocal for Local' and India-made products to make the country Atmanirbhar (self-reliant) and prosperous, asserted the BJP leader.

The recent GST reforms, which simplified the tax structure, would boost the swadeshi movement and accelerate overall development of the country, he opined.

Separately, Gujarat and Maharashtra Governor Acharya Devvrat paid homage to the Father of the Nation at the Gujarat Vidyapith in Ahmedabad.

The educational institution was founded by Mahatma Gandhi more than 100 years ago and Devvrat is the current Chancellor of the now deemed university.

An all-religion prayer was also organised at the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad, which was Mahatma Gandhi's home from 1917 to 1930 and served as one of the main centres of India's freedom struggle. PTI COR PJT RSY