Indian politician, animal rights activist and environmentalist Maneka Gandhi was born on August 26, 1956, in New Delhi. She is a member of the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the parliament. She is also a member of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP).
Maneka Gandhi is a widow of Sanjay Gandhi, the son of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
Maneka had a keen interest in politics, a fact that she never tried to hide. The Emergency in 1975 saw the rise of Sanjay into politics and Maneka was seen with him almost every time on his tours as she helped him in campaigns.
Maneka had founded the news magazine Surya which later played a key role in the promotion of the Congress party after its defeat in the 1977 election following the Emergency.
However, her relationship gradually changed with Indira Gandhi after her husband’s death. Reportedly, there were big fights inside Indira Gandhi's house.
After the fallout, Maneka ditched the Congress never to return back. She established her own party with the name Rashtriya Sanjay Manch along with Akbar Ahmed.
Apart from being a politician and activist, Maneka Gandhi also hosted Maneka's Ark, an environmental talk show which aired on DD NATIONAL in the 1990s. She had earlier hosted Heads & Tails, an animal rights show, on the same channel.
As Maneka Gandhi celebrates her 65th birthday, take a look at some of her rare and unseen pictures.
Maneka and Sanjay tied the knot on September 23, 1974.
Maneka was immensely beautiful with sharp features. During her college days in lady Shri Ram College, she had won several beauty pageants. She also appeared in many TV commercials.
Maneka Gandhi in an ad |
Maneka Gandhi can be seen with Indira Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Sanjay Gandhi in this family photo.
Maneka lost her husband Sanjay Gandhi in a plane crash. She was only 23 years old and her son Varun was just 100 days old when Sanjay Gandhi passed away.
She has won many awards for her social work. She is also the founder and Chairperson of Human Achiever Foundation, India.
