Indira Gandhi most powerful PM of India: Suresh Prabhu

Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu on Tuesday praised former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as "most powerful PM of the country" on the occasion of International Women's Day celebration.

"US still does not have a woman President yet. But we have woman as President, Lok Sabha Speaker and Prime Minister. Indira Gandhi was the most powerful PM in the country," Prabhu said.

He said there are lots of women in and around the world who have set high performance benchmark and efficiency parameters for men to follow and have set a new work culture in the country.

"There are so many women employees in railways who are doing well. Generally, women do it better wherever they are," Prabhu said.

Railways have about one lakh women employees out of the more than 13 lakh strong workforce in the public transporter. He asked women in railways to set new benchmarks so it becomes an example for men to follow.

Prabhu said Women's Day is not only just a day to be celebrated but it is a day for every individual to pledge to move from talk to purposeful action. He further said that achievements and efficiency of women need to be recognized at all levels.

Instead of sympathizing with the women, we need to empower women to give them equality in all respects like literacy, education, financial status etc, he added.