Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tributes to former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi on his 80th birth anniversary on Tuesday (August 20, 2024). India’s youngest prime minister, at the age of 40, Rajiv Gandhi held office from 1984 to 1989. He was assassinated by a suicide bomber of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) during an election rally in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, on May 21, 1991.
“Tributes to our former Prime Minister Shri Rajiv Gandhi Ji on his birth anniversary,” Mr. Modi said in a post on X.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi paid floral tribute to Rajiv at Veer Bhumi in the national capital. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge also paid tribute to the former PM and said that Rajiv Gandhi, with his unprecedented contribution, brought India into the 21st century.
“Today the country is celebrating Sadbhavana Diwas. Former Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, was a great son of India. He ignited a ray of hope in crores of Indians and with his unprecedented contribution, he brought India into the 21st century,” Mr. Kharge posted on X.
”His many notable initiatives like lowering of voting age to 18 years, strengthening of Panchayati Raj, telecom and IT revolution, computerisation programmes, continuing peace accords, women empowerment, universal immunisation programme and new education policy with emphasis on inclusive education brought about transformational changes in the country. We pay heartfelt tribute to Bharat Ratna, Rajiv Gandhi ji on his birth anniversary,” he added.
The Congress Party said that Rajiv Gandhi championed modernity, technology, and youth empowerment. “Today, we pay tribute to the visionary leader Shri Rajiv Gandhi, who championed modernity, technology, and youth empowerment. His commitment to unity, secularism, and a progressive India continues to guide us as we renew our dedication to building a prosperous and inclusive nation,” the official handle of the Congress Party posted on X.
Party’s Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh also celebrated Rajiv Gandhi’s contribution to India’s political and technological landscape. “Today is Rajiv Gandhi@80. His was a short but very consequential political life. The March 1985 Budget in which he played a key role heralded a new approach to economic policy. The manifesto for the 1991 Lok Sabha elections, on which he spent long hours a few weeks before his tragic assassination, provided the foundations for the Rao-Manmohan Singh reforms of June-July 1991,” he wrote on X.
“Peace accords in troubled regions of the country like Assam, Punjab, Mizoram, and Tripura were made possible by his statesmanship that put national interest over the immediate interests of his party.... We recall not just a Prime Minister today but also a very fine and caring human being who bore no malice showed no vindictiveness, sought no revenge, indulged in no bombast and self-glory, and exhibited no qualities of self-delusion,” Mr. Ramesh added.
Rajiv Gandhi took over the charge of the Congress in 1984, following the assassination of his mother and then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
Published - August 20, 2024 10:21 am IST
