New Delhi, Apr 17 (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday paid rich tributes to former Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar on his birth anniversary and described him as a towering personality widely admired for his commitment to democratic values and efforts to remove poverty.

"Chandra Shekhar Ji was a towering personality who was widely admired for his commitment to democratic values and efforts to remove poverty", Modi tweeted.

He always worked for the welfare of the downtrodden and marginalised. Tributes to him on his birth anniversary," PM Modi further said in his tweet message.

Chandra Shekhar had served as the 8th Prime Minister of the country from November 10, 1990 to June 21, 1991. He headed a government of a breakaway faction of the then Janata Dal with outside support from the Indian National Congress.

Known as 'Tung Turk', he was also jailed during the emergency period and after that he became the President of Janata Party also.