Nehru was architect of modern India: J-K Cong chief

Jawaharlal Nehru was the architect of modern India and a hero of the masses, Congress's J-K chief Gulam Ahmed Mir said on Thursday after paying tributes to the country's first prime minister on his 130th birth anniversary. Speaking at a function at the party's headquarters here, Mir described Nehru as a great statesman and a visionary leader who laid a sound foundation for a modern India.

"He is known as the architect of modern India because of his multi-dimensional contributions in shaping the future of Independent India," Mir said. Nehru was a valiant freedom fighter, a hero of the masses and a passionate Indian, he said.

He dedicated his life to the struggle to free India from colonial rule, Mir said, adding that Nehru was an ardent follower of Mahatma Gandhi.