India, Aug. 30 -- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday paid his tribute to the 1857 freedom struggle heroine Rani Avanti Bai Lodhi, saying her patriotism and bravery transcended all barriers of society, even her gender. "Avanti Bai Lodhi taught that patriotism and bravery cannot be confined by the boundaries of any caste, class or gender," he said after unveiling a statue of her. The BJP leader said Avanti Bai not only challenged British rule but also confronted a system that underestimated women. "Her entire life is a living example of women's empowerment and equality." During the 1857 uprising, Singh said, Avanti Bai took charge of her kingdom under extremely difficult circumstances and established an example of good governance. Also Read - Brothers and sisters plant more than one lakh saplings on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan Advertisement "When the British deceitfully tried to take away her kingdom, she chose to pick up arms rather than bow down," he said. Speaking at the same event, organised by the Lodhi Kshatriya Rajput Sabha, Adityanath, who shared the dais with Singh, said the spark lit by Mangal Pandey at Barrackpore was carried forward by Rani Lakshmibai in Jhansi, Dhan Singh Gurjar in Meerut, and Avanti Bai Lodhi in the Jhansi-Gwalior region. "No single individual, no single party, and no single region can claim credit for India's freedom movement. When the entire country spoke with one voice and in one direction for India's independence, the British throne was also seen shaking," he said. Also Read - K'taka guv accepts Nagendra's resignation as minister He said Avanti Bai led her struggle at 26 and mentioned Uda Devi and Jhalkari Bai in the same vein. Adityanath also attacked the Samajwadi Party, alleging that its government tried to eliminate the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC), while he reorganised 54 PAC companies. He said a women's PAC battalion each has been formed in Lucknow, Gorakhpur and Badaun, with the Budaun battalion named after Avanti Bai Lodhi. "The Lucknow women's PAC battalion has been named after Veerangana Uda Devi and the Gorakhpur women's PAC battalion after Veerangana Jhalkari Bai Kori," he said. The chief minister also announced that his government will give scooters to 50,000 women in tribute to Rani Lakshmibai. Also Read - One militant killed in factional gunfight in Manipur's Noney Adityanath accused the SP also of corruption in building the Jayaprakash Narayan International Centre (JPNIC) and said the government will recover all the money lost to the exchequer. Built during the SP regime, JPNIC's operation and maintenance was recently handed over to private operators for 30 years, with a provision for a further 25-year extension, by the Uttar Pradesh government. Adityanath said that SP chief Akhilesh Yadav did not offer condolences on the death of Kalyan Singh, a Lodhi leader. Singh, meanwhile, in his speech, said India's women have proved their capabilities in every era. Also Read - First six-week Cyber Commando course for CISF personnel concludes at IIITDM Kancheepuram "In the army, sports ... India's women are demonstrating their capabilities. From the heights of Siachen to the depths of the seas, they are playing an important role in strengthening the country," he said. During Operation Sindoor, Singh said, women pilots and women soldiers played an important role in acting against terrorism. The minister also paid his tributes to Dr B R Ambedkar for his role in women's empowerment and said that the BJP government is working to further these leaders' dreams. "Today, the doors of Sainik Schools have also been opened for girls. Through the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, an initiative is being taken to increase their participation in democracy," he said. Singh also paid homage to Kalyan Singh and claimed that law and order has improved under Adityanath's stewardship of the state. "In Uttar Pradesh, whether it was Kalyan Singh's government or Yogi Adityanath's government, no one would dare to cast an evil eye on women here," he said. "Earlier, those who harassed women had their morale high, but Yogi ji has broken their courage, their hideouts and even their knees," Singh said.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.