New Delhi, Aug 20 (IANS) Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday paid tribute to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his 82nd birth anniversary, crediting him with helping prepare India for the “promise of the 21st century”.
The former Prime Minister’s birth anniversary is observed as ‘Sadbhavana Diwas’ (Harmony Day) across the nation.
Taking to X, Kharge said: “Today, on Sadbhavana Diwas, we remember Rajiv Gandhi, a visionary leader who awakened hope in millions and helped prepare India for the promise of the 21st century.”
“His legacy lives on in the transformative changes he championed and in his enduring faith in India’s youth, technological progress and the power of new ideas,” he added.
According to the Congress chief, perhaps the most meaningful tribute to Rajiv Gandhi would be to “strengthen India’s timeless spirit of empathy, harmony and reconciliation, while nurturing intellectual freedom, innovation and the aspirations of our young people”.
“We pay our deepest respects on his birth anniversary and remember his tremendous contribution to the nation,” Kharge said.
Kharge, along with senior party leader and Chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) Sonia Gandhi, Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi, party MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, K.C. Venugopal and others paid floral tributes at ‘Veer Bhumi’ on the former Prime Minister’s birth anniversary.
Earlier during his Independence Day speech at the Congress headquarters, officially Indira Bhawan, Mallikarjun Kharge had fondly recalled Rajiv Gandhi’s tenure as Prime Minister, saying: “Rajiv Gandhi restored peace in the Northeast and Punjab. He laid the foundation for the IT Revolution and bolstered defence capabilities, the benefits of which were later witnessed during the Kargil War. Through the New Education Policy, skill development, and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas, he created numerous opportunities for the youth. And he lowered the voting age from 21 years to 18 years.”
“He (Rajiv Gandhi) wanted India’s youth to confidently face the world in the 21st century,” he had stated.
Meanwhile, paying tribute to Rajiv Gandhi, Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said he feels a deep sense of gratitude while thinking of the faith he placed in young leaders like him at a formative stage of his political journey.
“He did not merely speak about the future; he had the courage to imagine a new India and inspire a generation to believe that it was possible,” the Karnataka CM said in a post on X.
Echoing Kharge, Shivakumar also noted the transformative steps championed by the late Rajiv Gandhi, saying: “He empowered the youth by lowering the voting age from 21 to 18, strengthened Panchayati Raj and took governance closer to the people, advanced women’s participation in local governance, laid the foundations for India’s IT and telecom revolution, modernised education and embraced technology for the future, encouraged a new generation of leaders to take responsibility for India’s future, and championed a modern, progressive India driven by science, technology and democratic values.”
“As I work for Karnataka and our people, I carry with me the values and encouragement I received from him. His memory is not just a part of my political journey, but a responsibility to keep working towards the modern, progressive and inclusive India he dreamed of,” the CM said.
–IANS
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