Gujarat and Maharashtra celebrated their foundation day on Sunday, May 1, with President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi extending greetings to people of the two states on the occasion. On this day in 1960, the former state of Bombay was bifurcated on a linguistic basis and the states of Gujarat and Maharashtra came into being.
Kovind said Gujarat, the land of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel is among the leading states of the country on the parameters of development. He also extended his greetings to the people of Maharashtra, saying great personalities like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Mahatma Phule and Babasaheb have enriched the state and India with their contributions.
Modi lauded the accomplishments of the two states in diverse fields. "On Gujarat's Foundation Day, my greetings to the people of Gujarat. Inspired by the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel and several other greats, the people of Gujarat are widely admired for their diverse accomplishments," Modi, who hails from Gujarat, said in a tweet.
In another tweet, Modi extended wishes to the people of Maharashtra on Maharashtra Day. "This state has made phenomenal contributions to national progress. The people of the state have excelled in diverse fields. I pray for the prosperity of the people of Maharashtra," he said.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Union Home Minister Amit Shah greeted people on the state's foundation day. Patel inaugurated a Regional Science Centre in Patan, some 130 km from Ahmedabad. It is one of the four regional science centres established in Gujarat to promote a scientific temperament among the people, especially children, an official release said.
Shah, who hails from Gujarat, greeted people of the state. “The hardworking people of Gujarat who have imbibed thoughts of Gandhiji and Sardar Patel have given new direction and speed to the development of India. The BJP government under (Prime Minister) Modiji is committed towards the overall development of Gujarat," he tweeted.
In Mumbai, Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari said the state is all set to become a trillion-dollar economy and it will be the first in the country to do so. Koshyari addressed an event at the Shivaji Park in Mumbai's Dadar area where he unfurled the national flag.
Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray was also present on the occasion and the two, who have in the past criticised each other on various issues, were seen exchanging greetings.
Uddhav Thackeray paid tributes to 105 martyrs of the Samyukta (unified) Maharashtra movement on the occasion of the state's foundation day.
The CM along with his wife Rashmi Thackeray and minister-son Aaditya Thackeray visited the Hutatma Chowk (martyrs' memorial) in south Mumbai to pay homage to the martyrs.
