New Delhi: On the 35th death anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi, his son Rahul shared an old photograph of himself with his father, vowing to fulfil the former Prime Minister’s vision of building a strong India.
“Papa, I will fully shoulder 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,” Rahul wrote.
Earlier in the day, the Congress leader paid tributes to Rajiv at Veer Bhumi in the national Capital.
Then 46
years old, Rajiv was killed in a suicide bomb attack by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) when he arrived for an election rally in Sriperumbudur. Rahul was 20 at that time.
Rahul’s mother Sonia Gandhi, sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other senior Congress leaders including Mallikarjun Kharge and KC Venugopal also paid tributes Rajiv, remembering Rajiv as the architect of modern India and recalling the initiatives taken by him for the country’s progress.
In a post on X, Kharge recalled Rajiv’s words: “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.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also paid tributes to Rajiv, who served as India’s Prime Minister from October 31, 1984 to December 2, 1989.
“Tributes to former Prime Minister Shri Rajiv Gandhi Ji on his death anniversary,” the PM wrote on X.