Congress president Rahul Gandhi and general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra paid their tributes to their father and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his 28th death anniversary on Tuesday, at his memorial, Veer Bhoomi, in New Delhi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who dubbed Rajiv Gandhi bhrashtachari no 1 (corrupt no 1) at an election rally earlier this month, also took to Twitter to pay tribute to Rajiv Gandhi.
"Tributes to former PM Shri Rajiv Gandhi on his death anniversary," Modi tweeted.
Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka's husband Robert Vadra arrived at Veer Bhoomi in New Delhi. In a tweet, Rahul remembered his father as a gentle person who taught him to forgive and never hate. "My father was gentle, loving, kind & affectionate. He taught me to love & respect all beings. To never hate. To forgive. I miss him. On his death anniversary, I remember my father with love & gratitude," he said. Photograph: Ravi Choudhary/PTI Photo
Rajiv Gandhi took over reins of the Congress following the assassination of his mother and then prime minister Indira Gandhi in October 1984. The same year, he became India's youngest prime minister at the age of 40. Photograph: Ravi Choudhary/PTI Photo
Former prime minister Manmohan Singh, former president Pranab Mukherjee and former vice-president Hamid Ansari were among other senior party leaders who were present at the memorial. Photograph: Ravi Choudhary/PTI Photo
Priyanka also posted a poignant tribute to her father on Twitter. "You will always be my hero" she tweeted with a picture showing Rajiv embracing a young Priyanka with lines from Harivansh Rai Bachchan's immortal poem Angnipath next to it. Photograph: @priyankagandhi/Twitter
Priyanka was just 19 when Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by a Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam suicide bomber at an election rally in Tamil Nadu's Sriperumbudur town on this day in 1991. Photograph: Ravi Choudhary/PTI Photo
With inputs from PTI
