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‘Great son of India’: Tributes pour in for Rajiv Gandhi on his death anniversary

May 21, 2023
Bharat Times English News

From Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Congress leaders, tributes are pouring in for former PM Rajiv Gandhi, who was assassinated by the LTTE near Chennai on May 21, 1991. He served as the sixth Prime Minister of India from 1984 to 1989.

PM Modi tweeted, ‘I pay tribute to former PM Shri Rajiv Gandhi on his death anniversary.’

Rajiv’s son and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi Sharing a video on Twitter, the caption reads, “Papa, you are with me, as an inspiration, in my memories, always!”

Accompanied by mother Sonia, sister Priyanka and All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul paid tribute to his father at Veer Bhoomi. Delhi,

Calling Rajiv a “great son of India”, Kharge wrote, “Through a number of interventions—such as lowering the voting age, strengthening Panchayati Raj, the telecom and IT revolution, and continuing peace accords—he led India into the 21st century.” changed in the century.”

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel also discussed Rajiv’s efforts towards strengthening Panchayati Raj in the country. He said in a tweet in Hindi, “Rajiv ji did not bow down to terrorism and did not even care about his life for the country. In his honor and to pay tribute to him, his death anniversary 21 May is observed as Anti-Terrorism Day across the country. By ending terrorism, naxalism and corruption, everyone’s resolution and work for the progress of the country and the state will be a true tribute to Rajiv ji.

Rajya Sabha MP KC Venugopal shared a video of Sonia, Rahul, Priyanka and Kharge at Veer Bhoomi and wrote, “Shri Rajiv Gandhi ji was a visionary who sacrificed his life for the unity of India. He was loved by every Indian and his martyrdom was a moment of collective mourning for the entire nation. His death anniversary is an occasion to remember the lofty ideals he stood for and the great progress we made during his Prime Ministership.

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh was among those who cited Rajiv’s contribution to India’s IT boom. Sharing a newspaper cutting with the headline “Congress promises liberalization drive”, Ramesh wrote: “On this day, 32 years ago, one of Rajiv Gandhi’s last major achievements was the Congress Party’s election to the 1991 Lok Sabha. The manifesto was to be finalised. Assembly elections. He spent many hours on it.

He added, “His contribution to ushering India into the IT era was also distinctive. He wooed GE and Texas Instruments to kickstart software exports. Also his fight to give constitutional status to panchayats and municipalities – in fact a transformative step.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said that Rajiv “wrote the preamble of building a new India through telecom and digital revolution” and “is a role model for all of us”.

Congress Lok Sabha MP from Anandpur Sahib Manish Tewari shared his picture with Rajiv at an NSUI convention in 1989 and wrote, “Wherever you are, you will be missed sir…”