Mahatma Gandhi showed love for non-violence is only way to defeat hatred: Rahul

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."

Congress general secretary organisation K C Venugopal said, "In a strife-torn world, as indeed India, Gandhiji and his philosophy is more relevant than ever today."

Mahatma Gandhi's legacy of non-violence, co-existence, compassion, truth and economic self reliance have not only shaped nationhood, but those of many across the world, Venugopal said.

Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal took a swipe at the Modi government on the occasion.

"Bapu: Bharat badal chuka hai. Four pillars of Bapu's India: 1) Truth, 2) Tolerance, 3) Non-Violence, 4) Celebration of diversity. Now:1) Fake news, fake data, fake claims. 2) Intolerance in words and deed. 3) Violence extolled as virtue. 4) Targeting diversity," the former Union minister said in a tweet.

Several other top Congress leaders such as Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Sushmita Dev and Meira Kumar, paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi.

The Congress will celebrate Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary by organising 'padayatras' across the country, with party leader Rahul Gandhi joining the foot march in the national capital.

The party has planned a week-long programme that will mark the culmination of the year-long celebrations commemorating Gandhi's memory and it will re-emphasize his values.

The programme will be undertaken by the AICC in Delhi and by the PCCs in their state capitals. It will be followed by district and block Congress committees across the country.