Gadkari pays tribute to Bhagat Singh on birth anniversary
Synopsis
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari offered a humble salute to Shaheed Bhagat Singh on his birth anniversary, 28 September, honouring the revolutionary who was hanged by British authorities in 1931 at age 23.
Key Takeaways
28 September marks the birth anniversary of revolutionary martyr Shaheed Bhagat Singh , born in 1907 .
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari posted a tribute on X, calling Bhagat Singh a 'brave son of Mother India'.
Bhagat Singh was executed by British authorities on 23 March 1931 , aged 23 .
He is remembered for the 1929 Central Legislative Assembly bombing , a symbolic act of protest against colonial rule.
Tributes to Bhagat Singh on his birth anniversary are issued annually by leaders across India's political spectrum.
On the birth anniversary of one of India's most revered revolutionary martyrs, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari offered a respectful salute to Shaheed Bhagat Singh on 28 September 2026.
Posting on X, Gadkari wrote: 'मां भारती के वीर सपूत शहीद भगत सिंह जी की जयंती पर उन्हें विनम्र अभिवादन।' — 'A humble salute to Shaheed Bhagat Singh, the brave son of Mother India, on his birth anniversary.'
Who was Bhagat Singh?
Born on 28 September 1907 in what is now Pakistan's Punjab, Bhagat Singh became one of the most electrifying figures of India's independence movement. He is remembered for his fearless defiance of British colonial rule — including the 1929 Central Legislative Assembly bombing, carried out as a symbolic act of protest rather than harm. Arrested and tried, he refused to seek clemency and was hanged by British authorities on 23 March 1931, aged just 23. The word 'Inquilab Zindabad' — 'Long Live the Revolution' — remains inseparable from his legacy.
A ritual of remembrance across party lines
Gadkari's tribute is part of an annual ritual that cuts across India's partisan divides. Every 28 September, leaders from virtually every political formation — the BJP, the Congress, regional parties — invoke Bhagat Singh's name. That unanimity itself says something: in a country where almost nothing is uncontested, this young revolutionary commands universal reverence. His image — beret, piercing gaze, defiant composure — endures as a shorthand for fearless nationalism stripped of privilege or comfort.
For the BJP, and for a senior leader like Gadkari who served as the party's national president, the tribute also carries an ideological thread: the reclamation of revolutionary nationalist icons as part of a broader cultural narrative. That framing is debated by historians, but the act of commemoration itself remains sincere across the spectrum.
No policy announcements or events are linked to this post. It stands as what it is — a dignified, annual act of remembrance for a martyr who died at an age when most people are still finding their way.
Point of View
A framing that historians and opposition leaders have sometimes contested. The annual ritual of cross-party commemoration, however, underscores Bhagat Singh's rare status as an icon who transcends factional ownership. For Gadkari specifically, a leader known for his technocratic pragmatism more than ideological positioning, such tributes serve as a reminder that nationalist symbolism remains central to BJP's public culture. The post carries no policy weight, but its timing — on a high-visibility anniversary — keeps the party visible in a crowded commemorative calendar.
NationPress
28 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Bhagat Singh's birth anniversary?
Bhagat Singh's birth anniversary falls on 28 September every year. He was born on 28 September 1907.
Why is Bhagat Singh called Shaheed?
Bhagat Singh is called 'Shaheed' — meaning martyr — because he was executed by British colonial authorities on 23 March 1931 for his revolutionary activities against British rule in India.
What did Bhagat Singh do that made him famous?
Bhagat Singh is most remembered for the 1929 Central Legislative Assembly bombing , carried out as a symbolic protest against colonial legislation, and for his defiant composure during trial and execution at age 23 .
What did Nitin Gadkari say about Bhagat Singh?
Gadkari posted on X: 'A humble salute to Shaheed Bhagat Singh, the brave son of Mother India, on his birth anniversary' ( मां भारती के वीर सपूत शहीद भगत सिंह जी की जयंती पर उन्हें विनम्र अभिवादन ).
Do all Indian political parties pay tribute to Bhagat Singh?
Yes. Leaders across virtually all major Indian political parties — including the BJP, Congress, and regional formations — issue public tributes to Bhagat Singh on his birth anniversary, 28 September , making him one of India's rare universally revered national icons.
