Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and other political leaders paid tributes to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his 77th birth anniversary on Friday.
While paying tributes to Congress leader and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his 77th birth anniversary, PM Narendra Modi said: "Tributes to our former PM Shri Rajiv Gandhi Ji on his birth anniversary."
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu also paid tributes to former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi on his 77th birth anniversary, recalling his contributions to the IT and telecom sectors.
"My tributes to former Prime Minister, Shri Rajiv Gandhi Ji on his birth anniversary today. His valuable contributions to the IT, telecom and education sector will always be remembered," the Vice President Secretariat tweeted, quoting Naidu.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi paid homage to his father and former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi on his 77th birth anniversary. Rahul Gandhi paid floral tributes to his father at his memorial, Veer Bhumi, and spent some time there.
"A secular India alone is an India that can survive," Rahul Gandhi posted his father's quote on Facebook. "Remembering Shri Rajiv Gandhi ji on his birth anniversary," he said in the post.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi, Leader of Congress party in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and others also floral tributes to Rajiv Gandhi at a function held at the Central Hall of Parliament.
After paying floral tributes to the former Prime Minister at Central Hall of Parliament, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh tweeted, "Paid tributes to former Prime Minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi ji on his birth anniversary at Parliament House today."
In a series of tweets, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, leader of the Congress party in Lok Sabha, said, "Today is the 77th birth anniversary of great visionary leader late Rajiv Gandhi, being celebrated across the country, who espoused the philosophy of 'Power to the People', instead of power to the party." "Who gave birth to the Computer Revolution which is 'Digital India' in its new incarnation, and so on, I pay my tribute to my departed leader, RAJIV JI," Chowdhury said. Among others who paid floral tributes were several sitting and former MPs.
Born on August 20, 1944, Rajiv Gandhi became the youngest Prime Minister of India when he assumed office in October 1984. He served as the Prime Minister of India till December 2, 1989.
In May 1991, Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by a Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) suicide bomber during an election rally in Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu. The Congress observes the day as 'Sadbhavna Divas'.
(With inputs from ANI and PTI)
