President, Prime Minister pay tribute to Pt. Nehru on his 121st birth anniversary

NEW DELHI - President Pratiba Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday led the nation in paying rich tributes to the country’s first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on the occasion of his 121st birth anniversary.

The President and the Prime Minister paid floral tributes to the architect of modern India at Shanti Van in New Delhi amid chants of vedic hymns and songs by a group of students.

Vice President Hamid Ansari, United Progess Alliance Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit were among the prominent persons who paid floral tributes at the memorial.

Later, Dr.Singh,Mrs. Gandhi, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar and BJP leader L K Advani paid floral tributes at Nehru’s portrait in the Central hall of Parliament.

Cultural programmes were organised in city schools, as the day is also observed as Children’s Day.

Nehru was fond of children and was known as “Chacha Nehru” during his lifetime.

One of the leading figures in the Indian independence movement, Nehru was elected by the Congress Party to assume office as independent India’s first Prime Minister, and re-elected when the Congress Party won India’s first general election in 1952.

As one of the founders of the Non-aligned Movement, he was also an important figure in the international politics of the post-war era. He is frequently referred to as Pandit Nehru and, specifically in India, as Panditji. (ANI)