'Great son...': Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge pay tribute to former PM Rajiv Gandhi on his birth anniversary

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi paid floral tribute to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his birth anniversary, at Veer Bhumi in the national capital on Tuesday.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge also paid tribute to former PM Rajiv Gandhi and said that the former PM, 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," 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 RS 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. 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," Ramesh said in a post on X.

Rajiv Gandhi took over the charge of the Congress in 1984, following the assassination of his mother and then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. He became India's youngest Prime Minister at the age of 40.

Born on August 20, 1944, Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by a Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) suicide bomber during an election rally in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, on May 21, 1991.

Except for the headline, the story has not been edited by DNA staff and is published from ANI.