John Lewis Death: PM Narendra Modi Condoles Death of US Congressman, Tweets ‘His Legacy Will Continue to Endure and Inspire’

New Delhi, July 19: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday condoled the death of US Congressman John Lewis and said that his legacy will continue to inspire. Taking to Twitter, the Prime Minister said, Lewis was a champion of civil rights, non-violence and Gandhian values. "We mourn the loss of US Congressman John Lewis, a champion of civil rights, non-violence and Gandhian values. His legacy will continue to endure and inspire", the Prime Minister tweeted. John Lewis, Lion of Civil Rights and Congress, Dies at 80.

Lewis, one of the greatest heroes of American history died on July 18 at the age of 80. He was a lion of the civil rights movement whose bloody beating by Alabama state troopers in 1965 helped galvanise opposition to racial segregation, and who went on to a long and celebrated career in Congress.

Here's the tweet by PM Narendra Modi:

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi confirmed Lewis' demise late on Friday night.  “All of us were humbled to call Congressman Lewis a colleague, and are heartbroken by his passing,” Pelosi said. “May his memory be an inspiration that moves us all to, in the face of injustice, make ''good trouble, necessary trouble.''”

Late in December 2019, Lewis' announcement stated that he had been diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer. He was the youngest and last survivor of the Big Six civil rights activists, a group led by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. that had the greatest impact on the movement.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 19, 2020 12:19 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).