Gandhi Jayanti Highlights: Eradicate 'single use plastic' from country by 2022, says PM Modi

The country celebrated Gandhi Jayanti today. President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat on his 150th birth anniversary.

Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik on Mahatma Gandhi

"When there was violence in India & Pakistan, Mahatma Gandhi came here and said that he sees light in Kashmir, as everyone one was living in harmony," said Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi at 'Swachh Bharat Diwas' programme in Ahmedabad

Plastic is a major threat: PM Modi

"Sanitation, conservation of environment and animals, all these things were dear to Gandhi ji. Plastic is a major threat to all of them. So, we have to achieve the goal to eradicate 'single use plastic' from the country by the year 2022," PM Modi said.

"Today whole world is appreciating and awarding us. Providing toilets to more than 60 crore people in 60 months, building more than 11 crore toilets, whole world is amazed by this," said PM Modi.

India declared open defecation free

PM Narendra Modi said that today rural India and its villages have declared themselves 'open defecation free'.

Whole world is celebrating Bapu's birth anniversary: PM

"Whole world is celebrating Bapu's birth anniversary. A few days ago United Nations (UN) released a postal stamp to make this occasion memorable, now commemorative stamps and coins have also been released here," PM Modi saidat 'Swachh Bharat Diwas' programme in Ahmedabad.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi releases commemorative Rs 150 coins, on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary.

A special exhibition dedicated to the friendship between Mahatma Gandhi and Leo Tolstoy was held at the Russian State Duma, in Moscow today. India's Ambassador to Russia, D Bala Venkatesh Varma was also present along with other Russian leaders.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi felicitated by BJP workers in Ahmedabad, earlier today.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacts with children and volunteers at the Sabarmati Ashram.

PM ay Sabarmathi Ashram

Prime Minister Narendra Modi pays tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

"We saw a glimpse of the respect India has at the world stage during the #HowdyModi programme in Houston.

At that programme, Republicans and Democrats spoke. Their coming was very special," PM Modi said in Ahmedabad.

PM in Ahmedabad

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing a gathering in Ahmedabad said, "India’s stature is rising at world stage. Respect for India is increasing all over. One can experience the change. The world can see that India is at the forefront of several positive changes taking place at the world stage."

He also added, "Mahatma Gandhi's 150th anniversary has been marked at the United Nations with immense enthusiasm. Take any problem the world faces, the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi offer solutions to those challenges."

Sonia Gandhi addresses Gandhi Sandesh Yatra gathering

"India andGandhiare synonymous, but some people want RSS to be synonymous with India," said Congress party leader Sonia Gandhi, while addressing a gathering addresses gathering at Gandhi Sandesh Yatra.

"Those doing politics of falsehood will not understandGandhi's philosophy of non-violence," she says.

She further said, "Gandhi's soul would be pained by what's been happening in India in the last few years."

UN celebrates International non-violence day

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar at the "Gandhi Vichar Samagam" event at Gyan Bhawan in Patna.

PM Modi unveiled an Einstein Challenge to make the future generations aware of ideals of Mahatma Gandhi. He also penned a column in The New York Times on the occassion of Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary.

'Gandhi showed love for non-violence can defeat hatred'

Several top Congress leaders, including party president Sonia Gandhi, on Wednesday paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th birth anniversary with Rahul Gandhi saying that the Father of the Nation showed that love for all living beings and non-violence is the only way to defeat bigotry and hatred.

The Congress president and former prime minister Manmohan Singh were among those who paid floral tributes to the father of the nation.

Taking to Twitter, former party president Rahul Gandhi said: "On his 150th Jayanti, my tributes to Mahatma Gandhi Ji, the 'Father of the Nation', who through his words & deeds, showed us that love for all living beings & non violence is the only way to defeat oppression, bigotry & hatred."

Read the full report here.

Rahul Gandhi arrives at Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee office for the party's Gandhi Sandesh Yatra on Gandhi Jayanti

Gujarat celebrates Gandhi Jayanti with prayers, cleanliness drives

Prayer meets were organised at several places in Gujarat, including Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad, on Wednesday morning to pay tributes to Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th birth anniversary. A large number of primary school students gathered at Hriday Kunj, Gandhi's home at the Sabarmati Ashram, to attend an all-faith prayer meet organised on the occasion.

They expressed their views on the relevance of Gandhi's teaching of non-violence in today's world. Members of the ashram's trust, eminent Gandhians and other dignitaries were present on the occasion. Chief Minister Vijay Rupani attended a prayer meet at Porbandar's Kirti Mandir, the house where Mahatma Gandhi was born on this date in 1869. (PTI)

Shah urges people to shun single-use plastic

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday gave a clarion call to shun single-use plastic and urged citizens to take an initiative to make this a mass movement. Highlighting the perils of single-use plastic, the BJP president said it takes nearly 400 years for it to degrade.

Addressing a rally at the start of the 'Sankalp Yatra' to mark Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary, Shah said even animals are adversely affected due to single-use plastic. After flagging off the nationwide 'Sankalp Yatra', he undertook a foot march for around 500 metres.

Read the full report here.

Gandhi ji's satyagraha movement brought the British to their knees. He showed the path of truth and non violence to the world:BJP President Amit Shah says during 'Gandhi Sankalp Yatra' in Delhi.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh administered a cleanliness oath to people at an event organised in Delhi Cantonment on Gandhi Jayanti, today.

Gadkari launches special sales campaign of Khadi

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari launched a special sales campaign of Khadi and Village Industries Commission on the eve of Gandhi Jayanti. He also launched cow dung soaps and bamboo bottles.

Modelling a Mahatma to suit our ends

Even as Mahatma Gandhi turns 150, the children of the nation he fathered, remain undecided about his relevance or lack thereof on their life and times. In recent years, this has become a seasonal sport where people love to float their theories on the matter like children plying paper boats in post-monsoon puddles.

A merely seasonal interest in Gandhi, the distance of time and the consequent public perception built on the basis of non-detailed school textbooks, and puerile popular media depictions help politicians, businesses, brands, social activists and influencers of all hues to use the Mahatma as malleable playdoh to suit their ends.

Read the full report here.

In a short video on Gandhi, Modi said his message of peace is still relevant to the world community. The prime minister also referred to the seven perversions Gandhi had cautioned people about. These are: wealth without work, pleasure without conscience, knowledge without character, visit without ethics, science without humanity, religion without sacrifice and politics without principles.

The prime minister said the nation expresses its gratitude to Gandhi for his everlasting contribution to humanity. "We pledge to continue working hard to realise his dreams and create a better planet," Modi wrote on Twitter.

VP Venkaiah Naidu urges people to implement Gandhian principles

Vice President Venkaiah Naidu urged people to implement Gandhian principles in their daily lives. "As we pay reverential homage to the Mahatma on his 150th Birth Anniversary, let us strive to transform our lives by internalizing and implementing the Gandhian principles in our daily life," the vice president said in his tweet.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi, former prime minister Manmohan Singh, BJP veteran L K Advani, Union ministers Piyush Goyal and Hardeep Singh Puri, and BJP working president J P Nadda were among those who paid floral tributes to the father of the nation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi pays homage to Mahatma Gandhi on the occasion of his 150th birth anniversary at Rajghat in New Delhi. (Photo/PTI)

Hello readers, the country is celebrating Gandhi Jayanti today. On Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary, tune in to the blog for live updates of celebrations across the country and globe.

President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat on his 150th birth anniversary.