New Delhi, Mar 23 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday paid tributes to socialist icon Ram Manohar Lohia on his birth anniversary, saying he is widely respected for his principled politics and intellectual prowess.

Born in 1910, Lohia was a freedom fighter and Gandhian before he became a pioneer for the political empowerment of underprivileged communities and worked to unite opposition parties against the then hegemony of the Congress.

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He is credited with the first phase of the rise of anti-Congress forces in the early 60s. He died in 1967.

Paying homage to him, Modi tweeted, "Remembering Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia on his birth anniversary. He was at the forefront of many historical events and played a key role in our freedom struggle. He is widely respected for his principled politics and intellectual prowess."

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The prime minister also posted on Twitter some correspondence involving Lohia, considered an intellectual giant.

He tweeted, "Some interesting nuggets from the pages of history…a letter from Dr. Lohia to Lord Linlithgow and correspondence between Dr. Lohia's father and him."

(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)