PANVEL, March 2 -- Guru Tegh Bahadur's martyrdom strengthened India's spiritual and cultural foundations, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in his virtual address on the concluding day of a two-day congregation, commemorating the 350th anniversary of the martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur in Navi Mumbai on Sunday. The event, which was organised by the state government's minority development department along with the state coordination committee, drew around 2 million people, including Sikh devotees from across India and overseas. Also known as 'Hind di Chadar', Guru Teg Bahadur fought for religious freedom and was beheaded in 1675 on orders from Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. A host of politicians and religious leaders participated in Sunday's proceedings. "When our gurus made the ultimate sacrifice, society stood united for truth and culture. That spirit of social unity is needed even today," the Prime Minister said. He congratulated the state government for organising various programmes to commemorate the guru's martyrdom, and cited national initiatives honouring Sikh heritage, including Veer Bal Diwas observances, the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor, improved Hemkund Sahib pilgrimage facilities and commemorative coins and stamps. Modi referred to reopening investigations into the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, additional compensation for victims, evacuation of Afghan Sikhs and Hindus and relief measures under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). "We are working in a mission mode. Our government safely brought back 'saroops' (copies of Shri Guru Granth Sahib) from Afghanistan. We paved the way for offering citizenship to Sikhs and Hindus from Afghanistan. Through CAA, we offered relief to the persecuted Sikhs," the PM asserted. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said Guru Tegh Bahadur's sacrifice had ensured freedom of worship for future generations. "We practise our faith freely today because Guru Tegh Bahadur sacrificed his life to protect dharma and culture," he said. The chief minister highlighted Maharashtra's historic links with Punjab through Sant Namdev Maharaj and Guru Gobind Singh's association with Nanded, and announced that a hospital named after Guru Tegh Bahadur would be built in Navi Mumbai. Lessons on the Guru's martyrdom would be included in the school curricula too, he said. Deputy chief ministers Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar also addressed the gathering....