Nation remembers Dr Rajendra Prasad on 52nd death anniversary

Patna, Feb 28: Rich tributes were paid to the country's first President Dr Rajendra Prasad on Friday on the occasion of his 52nd death anniversary.

Attending a state function on the occasion, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar laid a wreath on his 'samadhi' along the Ganga River and paid rich tributes to him.

"Dr Rajendra Prasad will always be remembered for his enormous contribution to the freedom movement and his role in the making of our Constitution. He had great love for the nation. He made Bihar proud by taking up the highest post in the country," Kumar said.

Floral tributes were paid on behalf of President Pranab Mukherjee and Bihar Governor Keshri Nath Tripathi by Aide-de-camp Rakesh Kumar Dubey, while Patna District Magistrate Abhay Kumar Singh did it on behalf of Vice-President Hamid Ansari.

Patna Divisional Commissioner ELSN Bala Prasad placed garlands on the memorial on behalf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A two-minute silence was observed in memory of Prasad.

Born on December 3, 1884 at Ziradei village in Siwan district of Bihar, Prasad, a trained advocate, joined the Indian National Congress and the Independence Movement. He was elected the President of the Constituent Assembly, which prepared the Constitution of India.

Prasad was elected the first President of India in 1951, and re-elected in 1957. He passed away on February 28, 1963 and was cremated at Bans Ghat in Patna, where a memorial has been constructed in his name.

PTI