President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari and top leaders of the Congress today paid rich tributes to country's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on his 125th birth anniversary but no one from the NDA government was present at the event.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi, party Vice President Rahul Gandhi, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Sheila Dikshit and Shakeel Ahmed were among Congress leaders who paid floral tribute to Nehru at his memorial Shanti Van on the banks of Yamuna.
At the end of the ceremony, the dignitaries released tricolour balloons in the air amid playing of bands by students.
Though Union Ministers attended a number of functions to commemorate Nehru's birth anniversary, no government representative was present at the event in Shanti Van, in a break from convention.
At an event to commemorate Nehru's 125th birth anniversary, Congress yesterday had launched a sharp but veiled attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of seeking to destroy the secular vision of the first Prime Minister.
The Congress has been accusing Modi of appropriating the legacy of freedom movement leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel.
Nehru was born to Motilal Nehru and Swaroop Rani on November 14, 1889, in Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh and his birthday is celebrated as Children's Day in India as he was fond of kids.
