‎New Delhi, May 21 (UNI) ‎Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday paid tribute to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his death anniversary, remembering the late Congress leader in a brief message posted on social media platform X.
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“Tributes to former Prime Minister Shri Rajiv Gandhi Ji on his death anniversary,” the Prime Minister said in his post.
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‎Rajiv Gandhi, who served as India’s Prime Minister from 1984 to 1989, was assassinated on May 21, 1991, in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, during an election campaign. He was killed in a suicide bombing carried out by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), an event that shocked the nation and marked one of the darkest chapters in India’s political history.
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‎Born on August 20, 1944, Rajiv Gandhi entered politics following the death of his younger brother Sanjay Gandhi and later succeeded his mother, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, after her assassination in 1984. At the age of 40, he became India’s youngest Prime Minister.
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‎During his tenure, Rajiv Gandhi was credited with pushing modernisation and technological reforms, particularly in telecommunications and information technology. His government also focused on expanding education and strengthening Panchayati Raj institutions. However, his tenure was also marked by controversies, including the Bofors scandal, which became a major political issue in the late 1980s.
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‎Leaders across the political spectrum also remembered Rajiv Gandhi on the occasion, with several paying homage to his contribution to the country’s development and democratic institutions.
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