Rajiv Gandhi remembered on 71st birth anniversary

NEW DELHI: The nation today fondly remembered former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his 71st birth anniversary with President Pranab Mukherjee and other leaders paying tributes to him.

Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari, Rajiv Gandhi's wife and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi along with former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh paid floral tributes at Vir Bhumi, the samadhi of Rajiv Gandhi.

Sonia's son and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, daughter Priyanka and her husband Robert Vadra also paid tributes at the samadhi.

In a twitter message, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "I pay my tributes to India's former PM Shri Rajiv Gandhi on his birth anniversary."

Congress leaders PC Chacko and Sajjan Kumar and Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC)president Ajay Maken were among the other leaders who paid homage at the samadhi. Devotional music was played on the occasion. Scores of members of the National Students Union of India (NSUI), the student wing of Congress, were also present.

Rajiv Gandhi, who heralded the information and communication technology revolution in the country, was born on August 20, 1944 and served as Prime Minister from 1984 to 1989.

He was assassinated by the LTTE on May 21, 1991 at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu during election campaign.