PM Modi pays tribute to JP and Nanaji on their birth anniversaries

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday paid tribute to Jayaprakash Narayan and Nanaji Deshmukh on their birth anniversaries. The prime minister hailed JP on his 119th anniversary as a remarkable personality that 'left an indelible mark on India's history'. Paying respects to Nanaji on his 105th birth anniversary, Modi said the Deshmukh dedicated his life for rural development

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to 'Loknayak' Jayaprakash Narayan on his 119th birth anniversary and said that he had a remarkable personality that "left an indelible mark on India's history." He also paid respect to the 'great visionary' Nanaji Deshmukh on his 105th birth anniversary and said that Deshmukh dedicated his life to rural development.

'JP left indelible mark on India's history'

"Tributes to Loknayak JP on his Jayanti. He was a remarkable personality, who left an indelible mark on India's history. He devoted himself to public welfare initiatives and was at the forefront of protecting India's democratic ethos. We are deeply inspired by his ideals," the Prime Minister tweeted.

The 'Loknayak' was one of the prominent faces of the Quit India Movement and he is remembered for leading the mid-1970s opposition against Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, for whose overthrow he had called for a "total revolution".

The Janata Party was voted into power and became the first non-Congress party to form a government at the Centre under his guidance.

He was posthumously awarded India's highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna, in 1999.

'Nanaji empowered farmers'

Sharing a speech he delivered in 2017 at the birth centenary celebration of Nanaji Deshmukh at IARI in New Delhi, PM Modi said, "Pranams to the great visionary, Bharat Ratna Nanaji Deshmukh on his Jayanti. He dedicated himself towards the development of our villages and empowering the industrious farmers."

In 2017, PM Modi had laid out the Centre's comprehensive plans towards the development of rural India and mentioned a number of pointers towards achieving the goal of doubling the income of the farmers by 2022.

Born on October 11 in 1916 in the small town of Hingoli in Maharashtra, Deshmukh represented Uttar Pradesh's Balrampur constituency in the Lok Sabha from 1977 to 1979. From 1999 to 2005, he also served as a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha.

One of the founding members of Bharatiya Jan Sangh, Deshmukh established a chain of RSS-inspired schools throughout India.