As the nation celebrates Gandhi Jayanti - the birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation - Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday called him a "stalwart who made world a better place." After paying floral tribute to Gandhi at Raj Ghat, PM Modi tweeted, "The noble thoughts of Mahatma Gandhi have given strength to millions across the world. He was a stalwart who lived for others and to make our world a better place." He also shared a small video of Mahatma Gandhi on Twitter. Modi also made a visit to Vijay Ghat to pay homage to Lal Bahadur Shastri, whose birthday also falls today. "Lal Bahadur Shastri Ji epitomised strength and simplicity. He led India at a crucial time and worked hard to make our nation more prosperous," he tweeted. This year marks the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and the government has planned two years of celebration for the same. The day also marks the anniversary of Modi government’s flagship cleanliness drive – Swacch Bharat Abhiyaan. Follow Gandhi Jayanti LIVE UPDATES गांधी जयंती पर राष्ट्रपिता को शत्-शत् नमन। आज से हम पूज्य बापू के 150वें जयंती वर्ष में प्रवेश कर रहे हैं। उनके सपनों को पूर्ण करने का हम सभी के पास यह एक बहुत बड़ा अवसर है। #Gandhi150 pic.twitter.com/czFVckwjTd — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 2, 2018 The prime minister is scheduled to attend the closing ceremony of the Mahatma Gandhi International Sanitation Convention (MGISC) at Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre. He will pay a visit to the mini digital exhibition at the event, accompanied by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The Swachh Bharat Awards will be distributed on this occasion. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, or Bapu as he is fondly remembered, is known as the Father of the Nation. He led the independence movement against the British. The United Nations also celebrates October 2 as the International Day of Non-Violence to honour Gandhi’s belief in peace and non-violence.
