PM Modi pays tributes to freedom fighters Tilak and Azad

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tributes to freedom fighters Chandra Shekhar Azad and Bal Gangadhar Tilak on their birth anniversaries on Saturday, saying they epitomised courage and patriotism.

"One of the everlasting legacies of Lokmanya Tilak is the large scale Ganesh Utsavs, which ignited a spirit of cultural consciousness among the people. During one of my Mumbai visits, I visited the Lokmanya Seva Sangh, which has a close association with Lokmanya Tilak," Modi tweeted, posting pictures of his visit.

"I bow to two greats sons of Maa Bharti, Lokmanya Tilak and Chandra Shekhar Azad on their birth anniversary. These two stalwarts epitomise courage and patriotism (sic)," he said.

The prime minister also shared clips from one of his 'Mann ki Baat' episodes in which he paid tributes to the two freedom fighters.

Born in Uttar Pradesh in 1906, Azad ran a revolutionary network and had pledged to never get caught by the British. He took his own life during an encounter with the police in 1931, staying true to his resolve to remain 'azad' (free).

Tilak, born in 1856, was among the first leaders with a pan-India appeal to have emerged in the freedom movement.