Congress Party president Rahul Gandhi remembered his father, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, as a ‘kind, gentle and affectionate’ man while paying homage to him on his birth anniversary.
“Rajiv Gandhi was a kind, gentle and affectionate man whose untimely death left a deep void in my life. I remember the times we had together and the many birthdays we were lucky to celebrate with him when he was alive. He is greatly missed, but his memory lives on,” Rahul tweeted on Monday.
Rahul was 21 years old when Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by the LTTE while he was campaigning in Tamil Nadu.
Earlier on Monday, members of the Congress party including party President Rahul Gandhi, his mother, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh paid tribute to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his birth anniversary, which falls on Monday. He would have turned 74 had he been alive.
The Congress has meanwhile planned a string of programmes on Monday to celebrate former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s birth anniversary that it celebrates as Sadbhavna divas or Harmony Day.
The Congress’ minority department that is celebrating Sadbhavna Week from August 14 to August 20 organised a conference in New Delhi on Sunday where it pledged to bring down increasing viciousness in the society exemplified in cases of mob lynching by spreading message of peace and love.
“The biggest challenge before us today is to put a stop to the increasing hatred and viciousness in the society. It can be done only by spreading love and talking peace. The Congress will keep fighting communal forces with the positivity of love that has been shown by our president Rahul Gandhi,” said Nadeem Javed, head of the minority department of the Congress.
In Rahul Gandhi’s parliamentary constituency Amethi, which his father Rajiv Gandhi had represented four times, the Congress will organise a half-marathon, competitive events for school students, a presentation of folk song Alha on Monday.
It will also include senior party leaders among others who have made contribution to create harmony in the society.
The Congress has also decided to collect photographs of Rajiv Gandhi from Amethi residents to mark the day, and will organise a week-long exhibition titled ‘Hamare Rajiv (Ours Rajiv)’ at the party office in Gauriganj, the district headquarters, the Congress said.
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 "Members of the Karnataka Congress pour milk on a statue of Rajiv Gandhi on the eve of his birth anniversary")
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