TN Governor, Palaniswami, Bedi pay tributes to Gandhi

Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit and Chief Minister K Palaniswami Tuesday paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi on his 149th birth anniversary.

Purohit, Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam paid floral tributes to a portrait of Gandhi at Kamaraj Salai here.

In neighbouring Puducherry, Lt Governor Kiran Bedi paid floral tributes at the statue of Mahatma Gandhi on the occasion.

PWD Minister A Namassivayam, Welfare Minister M Kandasamy, Education Minister R Kamalakannan, Speaker V Vaithilingam, officials, freedom fighters were among those who garlanded the statue.

Official sources said Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy was out of town and could not be present during the celebration.

Purohit also launched cleanliness initiatives under the Swachch Bharat movement to commemorate Gandhi Jayanti.

He administered cleanliness pledge to over 1,000 students from 39 schools who had assembled at the Raj Bhavan besides the staff there, an official release said.

Meanwhile, school and college students took out a cycle rally here, stressing on eradication of untouchability, safeguarding national integrity, global peace and communal harmony.

The rally was flagged off by Tamil Nadu Minister for Information and Publicity, Kadambur Raju.