Political leaders across party lines paid tributes to India’s freedom fighter Mangal Pandey on Sunday, on the occasion of his 193rd birth anniversary.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, BJP chief JP Nadda, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Ghelot, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh and other paid tributes to Mangal Pandey, who was a sepoy in the 34th Regiment of the Bengal Native Infantry (BNI) of the English East India Company.
Taking to Twitter, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla wrote: "Remembering brave son of the soil, #MangalPandey on his birth anniversary. His indomitable courage & valour led to rebellion of 1857 which struck at the very foundation of British empire. His saga of defiance & heroism inspired countrymen to fight for freedom. Humble tributes!"
"Tributes to great freedom fighter Mangal Pandey on his birth anniversary," BJP chief JP Nadda tweeted.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Ghelot also paid tributes to Mangal Pandey. "My humble tributes to the hero of India’s first war of independence in 1857,#MangalPandey on his birth anniversary. He was the one to defy the tyranny in a courageous way that led to uprising in country against the British. He would always remain an inspiration against injustice," he tweeted.
"I pay my tributes to the brave son of India, Shaheed Mangal Pandey ji on his birth anniversary. He played an important role in the events preceding the Revolt of 1857. He had rightly said, "This is the fight for freedom...the freedom from yesterday...for tomorrow." Jai Hind!," Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh said.
Many other leaders also took to Twitter to pay tributes to India’s first freedom fighter. Here's what they had to say:
Born on July 19 in the year 1827 in Nagwa village of Ballia district of Uttar Pradesh, Mangal Pandey joined East India Company at the age of 18 as a soldier.
The freedom fighter has entered in the Indian history books for his act of attacking British officers that triggered off the First War of Indian Independence or the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857, termed by the British.
