Nation remembers Nehru on his 117th birth anniv

PM Manmohan Singh, Home Minister Shivraj Patil and Congress president Sonia Gandhi, visited Nehru memorial at 'Shantivan'.

The nation on Tuesday fondly remembered its first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on his 117th birth anniversary, celebrated as Children's Day across the country.

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Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Home Minister Shivraj Patil and Congress president Sonia Gandhi, visited Nehru memorial at 'Shantivan' and offered floral tributes to the late leader.

Singh and Gandhi also spent some time with school children gathered at the memorial to celebrate the birth anniversary of Nehru who remember the leader as 'Chacha Nehru'.

Nehru's famous speech "Tryst with Destiny" delivered at the stroke of the midnight hour on August 15, 1947 was also played on the occasion.

The Prime Minister and the Congress president, along with the children, released tri-colour balloons in the air.

Among those present at 'Shantivan' included Union Ministers Ajay Maken, Oscar Fernandes and T Subbirami Reddy, Delhi Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit, Congress leaders Karan Singh, Ahmed Patel, Ashok Gehlot, Digvijay Singh and Jagdish Tytler.

Several functions involving children are taking place across the country to celebrate Nehru's birth anniversary.