Union Minister of State (Panchayati Raj) Shri Kapil Moreshwar Patil unfurls the National Flag at the historic Aga Khan Palace and Bapu Bhawan (National Institute of[...]

Shri Kapil Moreshwar Patil, Union Minister of State for Panchayati Raj, hoisted the National Flag today at the historical monuments Aga Khan Palace and Bapu Bhawan (now called the National Institute of Naturopathy) in Pune to commemorate the patriotic campaign of "Har Ghar Tiranga" Abhiyan as part of the 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' (AKAM) marking 75 years of India's Independence. On this occasion, he honoured the freedom fighters, their families and the families of the martyrs. Maharashtra Minister Shri Chandrakant Patil and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.

Shri Kapil Moreshwar Patil first paid homage at the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi at Aga Khan Palace and at the samadhi of Kasturba Gandhi and Mahadevbhai Desai. After this the national flag was hoisted in the forecourts of the Aga Khan Palace and the national anthem was sung with a salute in honour of the flag. In the Aga Khan Palace complex, the Union Minister of State for Panchayati Raj felicitated about 50 freedom fighters, their families and the families of martyrs by presenting them with mementos and shawls.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Patil said that the nation will always be grateful to our great men and heroes who sacrificed their lives for the freedom of the nation. The debt of the freedom fighters can never be repaid. Shri Patil said that through the 'Ek Bharat - Shreshtha Bharat' campaign, the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has done the work of tying the entire countrymen in one thread during the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.

Shri Patil said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is fulfilling the work of implementing the Gram Swaraj, which Mahatma Gandhi had dream of. In the last 8 years, important work has been done in the direction of rural development of the country through the Ministry of Panchayati Raj. He called upon everyone to make the Tricolour campaign successful by hoisting the national flag on their rooftops from 13 to 15 August 2022.

Maharashtra Minister Shri Chandrakant Patil said that the Government of Maharashtra has taken up the 'Har Ghar Tiranga' programme as a campaign. There is immense enthusiasm among the public for Har Ghar Tiranga and patriotism will be on full display from place to place.

More than 500 dignitaries were present in the programme organized in the Aga Khan Palace forecourt. In her address, Smt. Neelam Mahajan of Gandhi Memorial Trust provided a glimpse about the history of Aga Khan Palace and Gandhiji's residence here.

Shri Kapil Moreshwar Patil later paid homage at the statue of the Father of the Nation at the National Institute of Naturopathy (Bapu Bhawan) and visited the room where Gandhiji lived. After hoisting the flag, the Union Minister of State for Panchayati Raj felicitated about 25 freedom fighters, family members and martyr families. Historical facts about the Bapu Bhavan were shared by the Director of the National Institute of Naturopathy, Dr. Satyalakshmi.

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APS/PK