Modi pays tribute to Swami Dayananda

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday paid tribute to Swami Dayananda Saraswati on his birth anniversary, saying he was "a personality ahead of his time".

"Tributes to the great Swami Dayananda Saraswati ji on his birth anniversary," the prime minister tweeted.

"Dayananda Saraswati ji made a remarkable contribution to education. His emphasis on social reform made him a personality ahead of his time," a statement quoting Modi said.

Dayananda Saraswati was a Hindu religious leader and is well known as the founder of Arya Samaj, a Hindu reform movement of the Vedic tradition.