Leaders resolve to keep following Bapu in quest to build Viksit Bharat

New Delhi: 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.”

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.

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.