New Delhi: President A P J Abdul Kalam, Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today (Oct 2, 2004) led the nation in paying rich tributes to former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri on his 100th birth anniversary.

UPA (United Progressive Alliance) chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Home Minister Shivraj Patil, Leader of the Opposition L K Advani, several Union Ministers, Members of Parliament, Delhi Lt Governor B L Joshi, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, several of her Ministerial colleagues and the former Premier's sons Anil and Sunil were also present at a function to mark the occasion at Shastri's 'samadhi' Vijay Ghat in New Delhi.

An all-religion prayer meeting was held at Vijay Ghat which was decorated with Shastri's immortal words 'Jai Jawan, Jai Kisaan' written in flowers in the presence of school children dressed as soldiers and jawans.

Several soul-stirring speeches of Shastri were also played on the occasion.