LUCKNOW, May 29 -- Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday paid tributes to former Prime Minister and Bharat Ratna Chaudhary Charan Singh on his death anniversary, describing him as a "messiah of farmers" and a "great son of Bharat Mata".

The chief minister offered floral tributes at the statue of Chaudhary Charan Singh on the Vidhan Bhavan premises here.

Addressing the gathering, Adityanath said Chaudhary Charan Singh, who was born on December 23, 1902, in Uttar Pradesh, remained actively associated with the country's freedom movement and played a key role in bringing reforms in the agriculture and revenue sectors.

"Chaudhary Sahib used to say that the path to the country's development passes through villages, farms and barns," the c...