New Delhi, Nov 2 (IANS) Delhi Legislative Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta said on Sunday that Swami Dayanand Saraswati was not only a saint and reformer but the true architect of India’s freedom.

“His teachings ignited the flame of revolution that later illuminated the entire nation,” said Gupta, while addressing the International Arya Samaj Conference held to commemorate 150 years of Arya Samaj at Rohini.

The event was also attended by Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat, National President of DAV Management Punam Suri and International President of Arya Samaj, Surender along with delegates from across India and abroad, noted a statement.

Speaker Gupta lauded the timeless contributions of Swami Dayanand Saraswati, whose vision and teachings continue to guide generations.

He stated that Satyarth Prakash not only enlightened society but also became the philosophical foundation for a new India, one that values truth, equality, and national awakening.

“During Swami Dayanand’s era, the foremost need of the nation was independence, and it was he who first sowed the seeds of that great revolution. His call for truth and justice became the moral force behind India’s freedom struggle,”.

Gupta emphasised that Swami Dayanand’s influence extended deeply into India’s national movement, inspiring revolutionaries such as Lala Lajpat Rai and Ram Prasad Bismil.

He also highlighted the extraordinary role of Swami Shraddhanand, who carried forward Swami Dayanand’s legacy with unmatched courage.

“Swami Shraddhanand’s leadership during the 1919 Satyagraha in Delhi marked the first spark of the Jallianwala Bagh movement. When the British opened fire on peaceful protesters in Chandni Chowk, he stood at the forefront. Gandhiji himself wrote that ‘the word of Swami Shraddhanand was law in Delhi’,” he said.

The Speaker further drew a powerful historical connection between Delhi’s Legislative Assembly and the Imperial Legislative Council, calling it “the country’s first Parliament”.

He recounted how the infamous Rowlatt Act was passed there in 1919 despite Indian opposition, and how Gandhiji’s call for Satyagraha arose from that injustice.

“It was Swami Shraddhanand who first gave the movement its shape in Delhi, awakening the conscience of the nation,” said Gupta.

–IANS

rch/pgh