Rajiv Gandhi's Birth anniversary: PM & LS Speaker pay tributes

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today led the nation in paying floral tributes to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in Parliament House on his birth anniversary.

Singh, along with Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj and others, paid floral tributes at the portrait of Rajiv Gandhi in the Central Hall of Parliament House today.

While Rajiv Gandhi's son and Congress General Secretary Rahul was also present on the occasion, his wife and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi was conspicuous by her absence. She is away in the US, recuperating from an illness after undergoing an operation recently.

Among others who paid floral tributes to Rajiv Gandhi in Parliament House were Union ministers, MPs and former MPs, Secretaries-General of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, T K Viswanathan and V K Agnihotri respectively also paid floral tributes.

A booklet containing profile of Rajiv Gandhi, brought out in Hindi and English by the Lok Sabha Secretariat, was presented to the dignitaries.