Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday paid tributes to the hero of sepoy mutiny Mangal Pandey on his birth anniversary, saying he ignited the spark of patriotism at a very critical period and inspired countless people.
Pandey, a sepoy, had rebelled against his British officers in 1857, triggering a wave of uprising in what came to be regarded by many as India's first war of Independence before the colonial rulers managed to quell it. Born in Uttar Pradesh in 1827, he was executed by the British in 1857.
Modi tweeted, "The great Mangal Pandey is synonymous with courage and determination. He ignited the spark of patriotism at a very critical period of our history and inspired countless people. Remembering him on his birth anniversary. Had paid tributes to his statue in Meerut earlier this year."
The prime minister posted a picture of him paying tributes to Pandey.
(With PTI Inputs)
