PM Modi, Rahul Gandhi pay tribute to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on his 54th death anniversary

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday paid tribute to India’s first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, on his 54th death anniversary. While PM Modi took to microblogging site Twitter to pay homage to Nehru, the Gandhi scion paid floral tributes at Shanti Van in the national capital.

Former President Pranab Mukherjee and ex-prime minister Manmohan Singh also visited Shanti Van, the memorial of Pandit Nehru, and paid homage to the leader. Former vice president Hamid Ansari also paid floral tributes.

Pandit Nehru became the first Prime Minister of India on August 15, 1947, following an active role in the freedom struggle of the country. He is considered to be the architect of modern Indian state, which is sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic.

Son of a prominent lawyer, Motilal Nehru, Pandit Nehru called for complete independence from the British rule as Congress president in 1929. He went on to play an even bigger role in India’s freedom struggle in 1930s and 1940s. He later also emerged as a champion of non-aligned movement.