Cong Pays Tribute to Rajiv Gandhi on His Death Anniversary

New Delhi, May 21 (PTI) Rajiv Gandhi was a true patriot and a liberal, and "I'm proud to be his son", Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said as he paid tributes to the former prime minister on his 29th death anniversary.

"I am proud to be the son of a true patriot, liberal and philanthropic father. As prime minister, Rajiv ji put the country on the path of progress. With his farsightedness, he took steps to make the country self-reliant. Today on his death anniversary I salute him with affection and gratitude," he said in a tweet in Hindi.

"In memory of my beloved father, Shri Rajiv Gandhi, who was martyred this day in 1991. He was a wonderful father; gentle, kind, compassionate and patient. I miss him. But he will always stay alive in my heart and in the wonderful memories I have of him," Rahul Gandhi wrote on Twitter.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also paid tributes to Rajiv Gandhi on his 29th death anniversary. "On his death anniversary, tributes to former PM Shri Rajiv Gandhi," Modi tweeted.

Paying rich tributes to the former prime minister on his death anniversary, the Congress said it has decided not to issue advertisements in his memory and instead utilise the money in helping migrants.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also put out her "last photo with father" before his death in 1991. Priyanka Gandhi was 19 at the time.

"To be kind to those who are unkind to you; to know that life is fair, no matter how unfair you imagine it to be; to keep walking, no matter how dark the skies or fearsome the storm; to nurture a strong heart, and fill it with love no matter how great it's sorrows; these are the gifts of my father's life," she tweeted.

Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in Sriperumbudur, a village near Chennai, on May 21, 1991, at a public meeting while campaigning for the Sriperumbudur Lok Sabha Congress candidate.

He served as the country's sixth prime minister from 1984 to 1989. He took office after the 1984 assassination of his mother Indira Gandhi and became the youngest prime minister at the age of 40.

The Congress put out a small video of Rajiv Gandhi's life on its Twitter handle and listed a host of achievements during his time as prime minister.

"Rajiv Gandhi - the man who felt the pulse of a young India & steered us towards a brighter future. The man who understood the needs of the young & old and was loved by one and all, the party said.

In a separate statement, it said "The Congress party has decided that due to coronavirus pandemic, instead of giving advertisements in his memory and while paying respects to him, the entire amount so saved will be utilised for helping migrant labourers and workers."

"Congress workers in the entire country have also taken this pledge to make efforts and focus on helping the needy," the message from the party said.

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