New Delhi, Oct 2 (IANS): Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and senior opposition leaders paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi on his birth anniversary here Wednesday, and also remembered late prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri on his 109th birth anniversary.

The leaders paid floral tributes at Rajghat -- the Mahatma Gandhi memorial of on the bank of the Yamuna river. Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath also joined in.

A minute's silence was observed by all leaders present at the black granite memorial. The birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi is celebrated as Gandhi Jayanti across the country. It is also marked as the International Day of Non-Violence.

Gandhi, born this day in 1869 at Porbandar in Gujarat, played a key role in India's Independence struggle. He was assassinated Jan 30, 1948.

BJP leader L.K. Advani and Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker Kariya Munda led the parliamentarians in paying floral tributes at the portraits of Mahatma Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri in the Central Hall of Parliament House.

Shastri was born this day 1904 at Mughalsarai in Uttar Pradesh. He was the country's second prime minister after Jawaharlal Nehru died May 27, 1964. Shastri served the nation for 19 months and two days from June 9, 1964 to January 11, 1966, at a very crucial period of Independent India.

The portrait of Mahatma Gandhi was unveiled in the Central Hall Aug 28, 1947, by the president of the Constituent Assembly of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, while the portrait of Lal Bahadur Shastri was unveiled Oct 2, 1993, by the then President of India, Dr. Shanker Dayal Sharma.