The Uttar Pradesh chief minister, Yogi Adityanath, paid floral tributes to the statue of Mahatma Gandhi at the town hall in Gorakhpur and former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri’s statue at Shastri Chowk on the occasion of their birth anniversaries, on Monday. While paying tributes to Bapu, Adityanath said the Mahatma’s message of non-violence is the biggest strength of democracy.

Adityanath also reached the Gandhi Ashram in Golghar and remembered Bapu by spinning a charkha. After watching spinning of yarn in the ashram, he also sought information from those engaged, observed the products of khadi and also bought some khadi clothes.

Recalling Mahatma Gandhi’s messages of truth and non-violence at the Gandhi Ashram, Adityanath said the world was witness to the strength of non-violence under the leadership of the Father of the Nation, describing it as the biggest strength of democracy. He added that the entire country is paying homage to the Mahatma on his 154th birth anniversary.

Speaking on the occasion, Adityanath said, “Bapu showed the path of truth and non-violence to the world. We can win over the biggest powers of the world by following democratic principles. Following swadeshi, truth and non-violence, Mahatma Gandhi forced the autocratic British regime to leave the country.”

The chief minister said the “Swachhanjali” program, which is going on in all the gram panchayats and local bodies within the state on the call of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, draws its inspiration from the campaign led by Mahatma Gandhi. He added that apart from self-reliance, swadeshi, truth, and non-violence, cleanliness was also of great importance to Mahatma Gandhi and he advocated these values to the society.

Adityanath also paid tribute to the country’s second prime minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri. He said that Shastri, who gave the slogan of “Jai Jawan-Jai Kisan” and called for self-reliance along with security, was also a great follower of Bapu. He urged people to remember both the leaders on this occasion for their unforgettable contributions towards the country and society.