Indian leaders across party lines on Sunday remembered the contribution of Indian freedom fighter Lala Lajpat Rai on his 152nd birth anniversary.
President of India Ram Nath Kovind was among many who paid tributes to Punjab Kesari Lala Lajpat Rai.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday paid tribute to freedom fighter Lala Lajpat Rai on his 152nd birth anniversary.
PM Modi said Lajpat Rai was a courageous leader who dedicated himself towards India’s freedom.
“Punjab Kesari Lala Lajpat Rai left an indelible mark on India’s history. We remember him as a righteous and courageous leader who dedicated himself towards India’s freedom. Tributes to him on his birth anniversary,” Modi tweeted.
Chief Minister, of Congress-ruled Punjab, Captain Amarinder Singh recalled Punjab Kesari Lala Lajpat Rai’s “contribution to India’s freedom struggle”. CM Singh also saluted “he architect of the Swadeshi Movement”.
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Rai’s 152nd birth anniversary took to Twitter saying; let us remember the inspiring life of Punjab Kesri Lala Lajpat Rai, on his birth anniversary today. One of India’s illustrious Freedom Fighters, he continues to motivate us in shaping a new India.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh wrote on Twitter; Remembering ‘Punjab Kesari’ Lala Lajpat Rai ji’s, e was also the chief achritect of India’s Swadeshi Movement. I bow to him on his birth anniversary today.
West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress President Mamata Banerjee also remembered the Punjab Kesari Lala Lajpat Rai on his 152nd birth anniversary.
Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah also paid his tributes to Lala Lajpat Rai.
Congress Party’s official Twitter handle also shared a tribute message saying; We remember the sacrifice of Lala Lajpat Rai. He also served as the President of the Indian National Congress.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik paid homage to Lala Lajpat Rai on his 152nd birth anniversary and said that Rai had “had strong association with Odisha & Utkalmani Pandit Gopabandhu Das. He is inspiration for all”.
Lajpat Rai was born on January 28, 1865 in Dhudike, in Punjab’s Moga district. He died of a heart attack on November 17, 1928.
Rai was also known Punjab Kesari.
In 1928, the British government set up the Simon Commission, headed by Sir John Simon, to report on the political situation in India.
The Indian political parties boycotted the Commission, because it did not include a single Indian in its membership, and it met with country-wide protests. When the Commission visited Lahore on 30 October 1928, Lajpat Rai led silent march in protest against it. The superintendent of police, James A. Scott, ordered the police to lathi (baton) charge the protesters and personally assaulted Rai.
Rai did not fully recover from his injuries and died on 17 November 1928 of a heart attack. Doctors thought that Scott’s blows had hastened his death.
However, when the matter was raised in the British Parliament, the British Government denied any role in Rai’s death.
Although Bhagat Singh did not witness the event, he vowed to take revenge, and joined other revolutionaries, Shivaram Rajguru, Sukhdev Thapar and Chandrashekhar Azad, in a plot to kill Scott.
However, in a case of mistaken identity, Bhagat Singh was signalled to shoot on the appearance of John P. Saunders, an Assistant Superintendent of Police. He was shot by Rajguru and Bhagat Singh while leaving the District Police Headquarters in Lahore on 17 December 1928. Chanan Singh, a head constable who was chasing them, was fatally injured by Azad’s covering fire.
