"Pune, the holy land of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj", says PM Modi at award ceremony

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been honoured with the prestigious 'Lokmanya Tilak National Award' by the Lokmanya Tilak Memorial Trust. During the event, he acknowledged Lokmanya Tilak's contributions, emphasizing that Tilak initiated both the Ganeshotsav and the Shiv Jayanti festivals.

Speaking on the occasion, Narendra Modi said, "Lokmanya Tilak is the Tilak of our head. I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to come to Pune, the holy land of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, and the brave Chafekar brothers. It is also the ideal land of Jyotiba Phule and Savitribai Phule."

Speaking further, Modi said, "Dagdusheth was the first person who started public Ganeshotsav after Tilak's appeal. It is a matter of pride for me to receive the Lokmanya Tilak National Award. I thank you from the bottom of my heart."

Modi further stated, "Whenever receive any award, it comes with a responsibility. I dedicate this award to the 140 crore people of the country,” he added.