Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on May 21 paid tribute to his father and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his 35th death anniversary, saying he would continue working to fulfil his vision of a “skilled, prosperous and strong India”.
In a post shared on X, Rahul Gandhi said he would always carry forward the values and responsibilities shown by the late Congress leader.
“Papa, I will fulfil the responsibility of building the skilled, prosperous and strong India that you dreamed of,” Rahul Gandhi wrote. “Your teachings, values and memories will always guide me.”
Senior Congress leaders, including Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, visited Vir Bhumi in New Delhi to pay floral tributes to the former Prime Minister. Priyanka Gandhi’s children, Miraya and Raihan Vadra, were also present during the ceremony.
Several other senior Congress leaders, including Ashok Gehlot, P. Chidambaram, Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Mukul Wasnik, also paid homage at the memorial site.
Kharge described Rajiv Gandhi as a “remarkable son of India” and credited him for introducing reforms that helped shape modern India. He mentioned steps such as lowering the voting age to 18, strengthening Panchayati Raj institutions, encouraging growth in telecom and information technology sectors, and bringing in a modern 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 among the leading nations of the world.”
Bhupinder Singh Hooda called Rajiv Gandhi a “symbol of hope” for the youth, while Ashok Gehlot praised his emphasis on science, technology and youth empowerment. Gehlot said Rajiv Gandhi was among the first leaders to prepare India for the challenges of the 21st century.
Rajiv Gandhi became India’s youngest Prime Minister at the age of 40 after taking office in October 1984 following the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
Born on August 20, 1944, Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated on May 21, 1991, during an election rally at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu in a suicide bombing carried out by the LTTE.