Zeenews Bureau
New Delhi: On the 142nd birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on Saturday, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chief Sonia Gandhi visited Rajghat to pay tribute to the Father of the Nation.
This is Sonia Gandhi's first public appearance after her surgery in the United States. She returned to India on September 08.
To pay honour to Mahatma Gandhi, senior BJP leader LK Advani, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath were also present at Rajghat.
Gandhi, 64, was there for about 15-20 minutes at the memorial.
Leaders of various religions also offered prayers at the Gandhi samadhi.
After the prayers, Advani was seen talking to Gandhi apparently enquiring about her health.
Gandhi had undergone a surgery for undisclosed ailment in August and returned to the capital last month.
Though she had attended a couple of meetings with top Congress leaders, she had not attended any public function so far.
The United Nations has declared October 02 as the International Day of Non-Violence. This year, the grand-daughter of Mahatma Gandhi, Tara Gandhi Bhattacharjee, wants the world and the country to observe one-minute of silence on Gandhi Jayanti.
Gandhi, born this day in 1869 at Porbandar in Gujarat, played a key role in India's independence struggle. He was assassinated on January 30, 1948.
First Published: Sunday, October 02, 2011, 08:38