PM Modi, Congress leaders pay tribute to first PM Jawaharlal Nehru on 60th death anniversary

On the 60th anniversary of India's first Prime MinisterJawaharlal Nehru's passing, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leaders paid their respects.

PM Modi wrote on X, "I pay homage to former PM Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Ji on his death anniversary."

On the anniversary of his death, the Congress paid heartfelt homage to India's first prime minister on Monday (May 27). Mallikarjun Kharge, the party head, said that without "the architect of modern India," the history of the nation would be incomplete.

At his memorial, 'Shantivan',Kharge and former Congress president Sonia Gandhi also presented flowers to the former prime minister.

In a post on X, Kharge stated that the history of India is incomplete without the extraordinary contribution of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the architect of modern India, who propelled India ahead in scientific, economic, industrial, and other spheres.

He stated that Nehru was our inspiration and a devoted defender of democracy. "Our humble tribute to 'Hind ke Jawahar'on his death anniversary," Kharge added.

Nehru was quoted by the president of the Congress as saying that the national religion of all of us is the preservation, advancement, and unity of our country.

Even now, the Congress party is on the same path of "justice," Kharge stated. Rahul Gandhi, the former president of the Congress, also paid respects to his great-grandfather.

"Respectful tributes to the architect of modern India and the first Prime Minister of the country, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on his death anniversary. As a visionary, he dedicated his entire life to building India through the freedom movement, establishing democracy, secularism and laying the foundation of the Constitution. His values will always guide us," Gandhi said in a post in Hindi on X.

Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh also offered heartfelt tribute.

"On May 22, 1964 Nehru conducted his usual almost-monthly freewheeling press interaction. Towards the end of that meet he was asked about succession and he jokingly replied: 'My life is not ending very soon'," Ramesh said.

"Nehru then spent a few days in Dehradun from where we have his very last photo alive. He returned to New Delhi on May 26th. Perhaps the last act of his that night was to write a letter to Seiiche Hirose in Japan. A few hours later, in the early morning of May 27th at 6:25 am, Nehru lost consciousness, and he was declared dead at 2 pm," he added.

(With inputs from agencies)