Kovind, Modi pay homage to Lal Bahadur Shastri

President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday paid homage to former prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri on his 115th birth anniversary here at Vijay Ghat.

Prior to visiting Vijay Ghat, both Kovind and Modi had put out tweets remembering the great leader for his service to the nation.

"Remembering our former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastriji on his birth anniversary. A great son of India, he served our nation with utmost diligence and dedication. His courage, simplicity and integrity remain an inspiration for the entire country," Kovind's tweet read.

Modi too put out a tweet along with a video highlighting the contribution of the late leader to the country.

"I bow to the former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastriji who instilled new energy in the nation with his slogan of 'Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan'," Modi's tweet read.

Apart from Kovind and Modi, Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu and l Shastri, son of former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, also paid floral tributes at Vijay Ghat earlier, along with Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

To mark the day, the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Memorial Trust has orgsed a programme of devotional and patriotic songs.

Shastri was born on October 2, 1904 in Mughalsarai district of Uttar Pradesh. He shares his birthday with Mahatma Gandhi, whose 150th birth anniversary is being celebrated today.

He entered politics at a young age as a satyagrahi in the Indian National Movement.

On August 15, 1947, he became the Minister of Police and Transport in Independent India.Shastri, who is known for his major contribution towards promoting the White Revolution to increase the supply of milk and Green Revolution to boost India's food production, became the prime minister of India in 1964 and led the country during the India-Pakistan war in 1965. He coined the slogan 'Jai Jawan Jai Kisan' which resonated with masses and was widely accepted.

On January 11, 1966, he breathed his last in Tashkent after a cardiac arrest.

( With inputs from ANI )