Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray, Ajit Pawar pays tribute to Tilak on his birth anniversary

Leaders cutting across party lines, including Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and his deputy Ajit Pawar, paid tributes to freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak on his birth anniversary on Thursday.

Tilak was born on July 23, 1856 at Chikhali village in Ratnagiri district. He died in August 1920 in Mumbai.

"Tributes to Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak who had bugled 'swarajya (self-rule) is my birthright and I shall have it'," the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) tweeted.

Thackeray praised Tilak for taking on the British regime with his intelligence and intense journalism, and noted that the freedom fighter was jailed for it many a times.

"We can see the dream of a prosperous and strong nation because of his sacrifice and dedication. Tributes to his thoughts and memories," the chief minister wrote.

Taking to Twitter, state Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said, "Tributes to Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak who had roared 'swarajya is my birth right and I shall have it'. Let's resolve to convert the 'swarajya' he talked about into 'surajya' (good rule), as we pay respects to him."

State PWD Minister and Congress leader Ashok Chavan hailed Tilak for firmly raising the demand for self-rule through his speeches and writings.

Water Resources Minister and state NCP chief Jayant Patil also tweeted saying, "Humble tributes to Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak who was described as the 'Father of Indian Unrest', was a great freedom fighter, litterateur, journalist."

State BJP chief Chandrakant Patil also paid tributes to Tilak, describing him as a "great social reformer, philosopher and writer."

Patil said Tilak was the first leader who demanded "complete freedom" from the British rule.

Maharashtra ministers Balasaheb Thorat, Anil Deshmukh, Nawab Malik and Hasan Mushrif and NCP MP Supriya Sule were among the other leaders who paid homage to Tilak.