Papa, I'll fulfil your dream: Rahul Gandhi's tribute to Rajiv Gandhi with rare pic

It was former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s death anniversary today, and his son and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi marked the occasion with a reflective tribute alongside an old photograph of himself with his father. He vowed to carry forward Rajiv Gandhi’s vision of building a skilled, prosperous and strong India.

"Papa, I will fully shoulder the responsibility of realising the dream of a skilled, prosperous and strong India that you envisioned," Gandhi wrote on X. "Your teachings, your values and your memories will always remain with me."

Earlier in the day, the Congress MP paid tributes to the former Prime Minister on his 35th death anniversary at Veer Bhumi in Delhi.

Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in a suicide bomb attack carried out by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam during an election rally in Sriperumbudur on May 21, 1991, at the age of 46. The assassination was linked to India’s military intervention in support of the Sri Lankan government during the civil war.

Rahul Gandhi was 20 years old at the time.

Top Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Mallikarjun Kharge and KC Venugopal, among others, also paid tributes to the former prime minister on his 35th death anniversary and recalled the initiatives undertaken by him for the country’s progress. The Congress leaders remembered Rajiv Gandhi as the architect of modern India.

After paying floral tributes to the former prime minister, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge recalled Rajiv Gandhi’s words: "India is an old country but a young nation. I dream of India - strong, independent, self-reliant and in the front rank of the nations of the world, in the service of mankind". In a post on X, Kharge said, "On his martyrdom day, we pay our deepest respects to former Prime Minister and Bharat Ratna Rajiv Gandhi, a remarkable son of India who inspired hope and aspiration in millions across the nation."

Congess party, posted on its official X hanlde, "Rajiv ji’s vision of a modern, empowered and united India continues to inspire and guide us forward".

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also paid tributes to his former counterpart. "Tributes to former Prime Minister Shri Rajiv Gandhi Ji on his death anniversary," PM Modi said in a post on X.

Rajiv Gandhi was born on August 20, 1944, in Mumbai. He served as India’s prime minister from October 31, 1984, to December 2, 1989.

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