Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday led the nation in paying respect to Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th birth anniversary by paying tributes to the Father of the Nation at the Raj Ghat in Delhi.

PM Modi tweeted to express gratitude to Mahatma Gandhi for his everlasting contribution to humanity.

“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 realise his dreams and create a better planet,” he tweeted.

President Ram Nath Kovind and Vice President Venkaiah Naidu too arrived at the Raj Ghat to pay tribute to the Mahatma.

Earlier, Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at Raj Ghat on the occasion of his 150th birth anniversary.

BJP working President JP Nadda and senior leader LK Advani was also present to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the Sabarmati Ashram later today and pay tributes to the Father of the Nation. The PM will then go to the Sabarmati Riverfront, where he will declare the country open defecation-free (ODF) in the presence of over 20,000 village heads.

Several events will be organised in the city and other parts of Gujarat today as part of the sesquicentennial year of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary.

A large number of events are lined up across the nation, as the country observes the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi today.

Both BJP and Congress have made detailed plans including foot marches, cleanliness drive etc to mark the occasion.

Congress leaders, led by Sonia Gandhi, will lead a Gandhi Sandesh padayatra as part of a week-long celebration to mark the 150th birth anniversary. The march began at 9:30 am from the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee officer.

“Gandhi Ji embodies the kind of change that is possible when ordinary people come together to do extraordinary things,” the Congress tweeted earlier in the day.

On the other hand, BJP Working President JP Nadda will hold a Gandhi Sankalp Yatra at Chand Vatika, near Khaira village, whereas Javadekar will join the event at Chuna Bhatti area of Kirti Nagar in Delhi.

All Delhi MPs and senior BJP leaders will join this yatra at different point, across Delhi.

Meanwhile, the Indian Railways has emblazoned Mahatma Gandhi’s pictures on locomotives to mark his 150th birth anniversary. Health Minister Harsh Vardhan urged people to register on the Rakt Kosh app on Gandhi Jayanti and pledge to donate blood at least once a year.

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others” – Mahatma Gandhi. It is with this spirit that I urge you all to register on #eRaktKosh App & on @facebook. Pledge to donate blood atleast once a year!,” he tweeted.

In Uttar Pradesh, the Yogi Adityanath government is to hold a special assembly session on Gandhi Jayanti. However, opposition parties have decided to boycott this session.

In Hyderabad, BJP leaders are to pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi at Bapu Ghat in the morning and then launch a Padayatra from Ganesh Chowk, Khairatabad, Hyderabad.

NCC cadets on Tuesday concluded their cycle expedition at Porbandar, Gujarat, ahead of Gandhi Jayanti.

Today, the government is expected to announce a ban on single-use plastic to pave the way for India to become totally free of single use plastic by 2022.

Besides political functions, several localities, and organisations have planned functions to mark the day. Many schools and colleges held functions on Tuesday to mark Gandhi Jayanti since Wednesday is a holiday.