New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday paid an emotional tribute to his father and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his 35th death anniversary, saying he would work towards realising his vision of a "skilled, prosperous and strong India."
In a post shared on X, Rahul Gandhi wrote, "Papa, I will fully fulfil the responsibility of realising the dream of a skilled, prosperous, and strong India that you envisioned. Your teachings, your values, and your memories will always remain with me."
Earlier in the day, Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, along with her children Miraya and Raihan Vadra, paid floral tributes to Rajiv Gandhi at Vir Bhumi in the national capital.
Several senior Congress leaders, including Ashok Gehlot, P Chidambaram, Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Mukul Wasnik, also paid homage to the former Prime Minister.
In a separate post on X, Kharge described Rajiv Gandhi as a "remarkable son of India" and credited him with transformative reforms, including lowering the voting age to 18, strengthening Panchayati Raj institutions, advancing the telecom and information technology sectors, and introducing a forward-looking education policy.
Quoting Rajiv Gandhi, Kharge wrote, "India is an old country but a young nation... I dream of India -- strong, independent, self-reliant and in the front rank of the nations of the world, in the service of mankind."
Meanwhile, Bhupinder Singh Hooda described Rajiv Gandhi as a "symbol of hope" for the country's youth and said the Gandhi family had made sacrifices for the nation.
Ashok Gehlot also praised Rajiv Gandhi's vision for science, technology and youth empowerment, saying he was among the first leaders to prepare India for the 21st century.
Rajiv Gandhi became India's youngest Prime Minister at the age of 40 after assuming office in October 1984 following the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
Born on August 20, 1944, Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by an LTTE suicide bomber during an election rally at Sriperumbudur on May 21, 1991.
