New Delhi, Apr 17 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday paid tribute to former prime minister Chandra Shekhar on his birth anniversary, lauding him as an exemplary leader who rose from the grassroots and made rich contributions to national progress.

In a post on X, Modi said, "He is remembered for his emphasis on serving the poor and downtrodden. He was also at the forefront of resisting the Emergency and safeguarding our democratic ideals."

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Born in the Ballia district of Uttar Pradesh in 1927, Chandra Shekhar was a stalwart socialist leader who briefly headed a minority government. His son Neeraj Shekhar is a BJP MP and is contesting the Lok Sabha elections from the Ballia constituency.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)