Kalam pays tribute to Gandhi

President A P J Abdul Kalam Sunday led the nation in paying rich tributes to Mahatma Gandhi on his 136th birth anniversary, observed as 'Gandhi Jayanti'.

Besides the President, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Home Minister Shivraj Patil, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and leader of Opposition Lal Kishenchand Advani paid floral tributes to the Father of the Nation at Rajghat in New Delhi.

Amidst devotional songs, several other dignitaries including, former prime minister I K Gujaral, Lt Governor of Delhi B L Joshi, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit also paid glowing tributes to the Mahatma.

Eminent Gandhian Nirmala Deshpande, foreign diplomats and nearly 300 school children took part in the function where devotional songs were played in the background.

An all-religion prayer meeting was also held on the occasion where representatives of nine religions -- Buddhism, Baha'i, Christain, Hindu, Islam, Jain, Judaism, Zoroastrianism and Sikhism took part.