Prime Minister Narendra Modi kick-started countrywide celebrations to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi today. PM Modi, who launched the ‘Swachh Bharat’ campaign in 2014, will declare the country open defecation-free at the Sabarmati Ashram in Gujarat in the evening.
The BJP and the Congress, which are making efforts to claim Mahatma Gandhi‘s legacy, have planned various events across the country on Gandhi Jayanti. Leaders cutting across party lines visited Rajghat, the resting place of the Mahatma, to pay homage to Gandhi.
PM Modi, who has a packed schedule, began his day with a visit to Rajghat and paid floral tribute. “Tributes to beloved Bapu! On #Gandhi150, we express gratitude to Mahatma Gandhi for his everlasting contribution to humanity. We pledge to continue working hard to realize his dreams and create a better planet,” the Prime Minister tweeted.
In a short video on Mahatma Gandhi, PM Modi said his message of peace is still relevant to the world community. He also referred to the seven habits Gandhi had cautioned people about. These are money without effort, comfort without conscience, culture without personality, visit without ethics, science without humanity, spirituality without sacrifice and politics without principles.
PM Modi also visited Vijayghat, the resting place of former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, who also shares his birthday with Gandhi.
