Hardwar: Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani on April 2 said eminent people like K S Hedgewar, E M S Namboodiripad and Indira Gandhi had aimed to develop India into an ideal nation despite their ideological differences.

"Their ideal was to transform India into a developed nation, though they differed on political and ideological front," Advani told a gathering to pay tributes to martyrs and armed forces personnel who made supreme sacrifices in defence of the nation.

Advani said his visit to the holy environs of this religious township gave him a feeling that "we are all equals and whatever be our ideology, our aim is to convert India into a developed nation as Lord Rama had visualised in Ram Rajya".

He said today was a "pious occasion" to remember the martyrs as the day coincided with the start of 'Navaratras'.

A number of dignitaries including Uttaranchal Governor Sudershan Agarwal, his Uttar Pradesh counterpart Vishnu Kant Shastri and Uttaranchal Chief Minister N D Tewari were present on the occasion. The ceremony also marked the beginning of a nine- day 'Ramkatha Path'.

PTI