Modi pays homage at Mahatma's statue in London

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who arrived here on Thursday on a three-day visit to Britain, paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi at his statue at the Parliament Square here.

"Paying homage to the Mahatma. PM @narendramodi and PM @David_Cameron at the Gandhi statue," the Prime Minister's Office India tweeted after Modi laid floral tributes at the statue.

A fly-past by the Red Arrows, the aerobatics display team of the Royal Air Force, with the Indian colours marked the event.

The nine-foot tall bronze statue was created by British sculptor Philip Jackson and was unveiled by Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on March 14 this year.

Based on a photograph of Gandhi standing outside the offices of then British prime minister Ramsay MacDonald in 1931, the statue was dedicated as a commemoration of the centenary of Gandhi's return from South Africa to lead the Indian independence movement.

Prior to Modi paying homage at the statue, the visiting prime minister was accorded a guard of honur on King Charles Street here. Following that, he held bilateral talks with British Premier David Cameron.

The Indian prime minister is scheduled to address a joint session of the British Parliament later in the day.

Thereafter, he will address the City of London at the Guildhall, a building that has been used as a town hall for several hundred years.