Rajiv Gandhi remembered on 23rd death anniversary

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, May 21, 2014: Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was today remembered on his 23rd death anniversary with several leaders paying homage at his memorial here.

President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari, outgoing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the late leader’s wife and Congress President Sonia Gandhi offered flowers at his memorial ‘Vir Bhumi’ here.

Sonia was accompanied by son and Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, daughter Priyanka Gandhi and son-in-law Robert Vadra, who arrived together to pay homage around 6.20 AM.

‘Shanti Mantra’ was recited on the occasion as youths holding the Tricolour circumambulated the memorial. A number of young children also offered floral tributes at the memorial.

Former Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, former Finance Minister P Chidambaram, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor and outgoing Parliamentary Affairs and Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath, Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) president Arvinder Singh Lovely and Congress CLP leader Haroon Yusuf were among  those who also paid tributes to the leader.

Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi also paid his tributes to Gandhi on Twitter. “My homage to former PM Shri Rajiv Gandhi on his death anniversary,” he said in a tweet.

Rajiv Gandhi, who was the sixth and youngest PM of India, was assassinated on May 21, 1991 at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu during a poll campaign.