Overview
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X that Pandey was a pioneering warrior who challenged British rule and remains a lasting source of inspiration for the nation.
- Union Home Minister Amit Shah offered countless salutations to the “hero of the 1857 uprising” and described him as an inspiration for patriotism.
- Bharatiya Janata Party president J.P. Nadda saluted Pandey’s sacrifice as the spark that ignited the freedom struggle and said his legacy will motivate future generations.
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh credited Pandey with awakening national consciousness and sounding the “trumpet of rebellion” in India’s first war of independence.
- Born in 1827 in Nagwa village of Ballia district, Pandey joined the Bengal Army in 1849 and his refusal to use greased cartridges at Barrackpore triggered the 1857 revolt that ended East India Company rule.