The country is remembering one of the most prominent visionary leaders and first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, on his birth anniversary on Tuesday (Nov 14th) which is observed as 'Children's Day (Bal Diwas)' across the nation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to X, formerly Twitter, to pay his tributes to the former PM. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi and party General Secretary KC Venugopal paid floral tribute to Pandit Nehru at Shanti Van.
Kharge called Nehru the prime architect of modern India and called for the preservation and protection of the Indian Constitution and democratic institutions.
"Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was the prime architect of modern India. In his understanding, only a Democratic structure which gave space to various cultural, political, and socio-economic trends to express themselves could hold India together. Today, as we gather in Shanti Van, to pay our revered tributes to him, we must preserve, protect and defend India's Constitution and our long-cherished Democratic institutions and principles — his enduring legacy," he said in a post on X.
"Paying tribute to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru ji on his birth anniversary, who took India from zero to the pinnacle, the creator of modern India, the fearless guardian of democracy and our source of inspiration. His progressive ideas advanced India's social, political and economic development despite all the challenges and encouraged the people of the country to live together at every moment, without any discrimination and always keeping the country first," the Congress President added.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also took to the social media platform to remember his great-grandfather and his ideology of freedom and justice. He said, "Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru is a thought – of freedom, progress, justice. "
"Mother India today needs these values of her 'Jawahar of Hind', like an ideology, in every heart," he added.
Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot also paid tribute to the former PM at Japiur's Abert Hall. He credited Nehru for making India self-reliant. It is because of the vision of Pandit ji (former PM Jawaharlal Nehru) that the country became 'atmanirbhar'," he said.
Nehru was fondly called 'Chacha Nehru' for his affection towards children. He was born on November 14, 1889, in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj. Pandit Nehru breathed his last on May 27, 1964.