Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday said it is hard to establish peace and harmony without valour.

He was speaking at a programme held to commemorate the 218th birth anniversary of Rana Benimadhav Baksh Singh, a freedom fighter involved in the 1857 mutiny, at Feroze Gandhi College, Rae Bareli.

Saluting the valour of Singh, popularly known as 'Awadh Kesari', Adityanath said he made the entire region feel independent 90 years before the country got complete freedom.

Stating the importance of social solidarity to face challenges, he said even before 1857, the freedom struggle was being carried out by the likes of Maharana Pratap and Shivaji among others, and this fight took an organised form in 1857.

"Peace and harmony, which are essential to form a stable and prosperous society, are not possible without valour," he said referring to their contribution. Adityanath said Singh and another freedom fighter named Veera Pasi awakened the light of Independence against the British rule in Awadh, which took the form of a mass movement.

"The Chauri Chaura protest in 1922 and the Kakori action in 1925 helped achieve the goal of Independence in 1947," he added.?

(With PTI Inputs)