Tributes poured in for the former prime minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi, on his death anniversary on Tuesday, May 21. Rajiv Gandhi, India's Prime Minister between 1984 and 1989, was assassinated by LTTE cadres at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu in 1991 during an election campaign.
The Congress remembered Rajiv Gandhi on Tuesday, saying even though his life was very short, it was "hugely impactful". Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, remembering his late father and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his 33rd death anniversary, shared a post and referred to his father's dreams as his own.
Rahul Gandhi also shared a childhood photograph of him with his father in which Rajiv Gandhi can be seen with his hand on Rahul's shoulders.
In the post, Rahul said, "Father, Your dreams, my dreams, Your aspirations, my responsibilities. Your memories, today and always, always in my heart."
Ahead of this, Rahul along with Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, and Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi paid homage to Rajiv Gandhi at Veer Bhumi in Delhi on Tuesday morning.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said on Tuesday that former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi's political life was very short but "hugely impactful" and he left behind numerous legacies, including the 1991 manifesto which promised liberalisation.
Ramesh remembered the contributions made by Rajiv Gandhi on his death anniversary. "His political life was very short but hugely impactful. He left behind numerous legacies that we take for granted now," he said.\
"These include the right of 18 year olds to vote; Constitutional empowerment of panchayats and nagarpalikas, including reservations for women in elections to them; peace in Assam, Mizoram, Tripura and Punjab; India's entry into the IT, computer and telecom era as a major power; the use of science & technology to address societal concerns and challenges; strengthening of India's space and nuclear programmes. And much more," he said.
One legacy, however, that is often overlooked is the Congress' 1991 manifesto that was released by him on April 15, 1991 and on which he had spent long hours personally over a period of ten days, Ramesh said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also paid tributes to former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi. "On his death anniversary, my tributes to our former PM Shri Rajiv Gandhi Ji," PM Modi said in a post on X.
