New Delhi: The country today fondly remembered its first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on his 124th birth anniversary with President Pranab Mukherjee and Vice President Hamid Ansari leading the country in paying homage to him.
Mukherjee, Ansari and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh paid floral tributes to Nehru at his memorial - Shanti Van - on the banks of Yamuna here this morning amid chants of hymns and patriotic songs.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi, Delhi Congress president J P Agarwal, Union Ministers Sriprakash Jaiswal and V Narayanasamy were among those who paid homage at the memorial.
At the end of the ceremony, the dignitaries released tricolour balloons in the air amid playing of bands and patriotic songs sung by school children.
Nehru was born to Motilal Nehru and Swaroop Rani on November 14, 1889, in Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh and his birthday is celebrated as Children`s Day in India as he was fond of children.
