New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi paid tributes to the country's second prime minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri, on his death anniversary today.   

Taking to microblogging site Twitter, the prime minister said Shastri's "impeccable service" will be remembered for generations to come. "We pay homage to Shastri Ji on his Punya Tithi. His impeccable service and courageous leadership will be remembered for generations to come," Modi said.   

Gandhi invoked the late leader to emphasise the importance of building up unity and solidarity of people.   "Among the major tasks before us, none is of greater importance for our strength and stability than the task of building up the unity and solidarity of our people," the Congress chief said on Twitter.   

"My tributes to former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri ji on his death anniversary," he said. Shastri was born in 1904 and held office between June, 1964 and January, 1966. He passed away on this day in 1966.

He led the country during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1965. His slogan of 'Jai Jawan Jai Kisan' (Hail the soldier, Hail the farmer) became a clarion call and is still remembered.