Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, paid tribute to his father, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, on Tuesday, marking the occasion of the latter’s 80th birth anniversary. Taking to the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Rahul Gandhi expressed, “A compassionate personality, an epitome of camaraderie and goodwill… Papa, your teachings are my inspiration, and your dreams for India are my own – I will fulfill them, taking your memories with me.” He also visited Veer Bhumi, the memorial for Rajiv Gandhi, and paid floral tributes.
Congress leaders commemorated Rajiv Gandhi’s contributions to India’s political and technological landscape. Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh, in a post on X, stated, “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.” Recalling the late Prime Minister for his fine and caring nature, Ramesh highlighted the significant steps taken during Rajiv Gandhi’s tenure to transform India into a software export powerhouse. He added, “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.”
Rajiv Gandhi served as Prime Minister from 1984 to 1989, assuming the role at the young age of 40 following the assassination of his mother, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. He became India’s youngest Prime Minister at the time. Sadly, his life was cut short by a tragic event in 1991. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) orchestrated a conspiracy to assassinate Rajiv Gandhi in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu. He died in a suicide bombing on May 21, 1991.
