New Delhi, Aug 20: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday paid tribute to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his birth anniversary, recalling his contribution to the country.
In a post on X, Modi said, “On the occasion of his birth anniversary, paying homage to former Prime Minister of India, Shri Rajiv Gandhi.”
Born on August 20, 1944, in Bombay (now Mumbai), Rajiv Gandhi became India’s youngest Prime Minister at the age of 40 after the assassination of his mother, Indira Gandhi, in October 1984. He also served as president of the Indian National Congress.
Rajiv Gandhi initially had no plans to pursue a political career. He studied engineering in the United Kingdom and later worked as a commercial pilot with Indian Airlines. His entry into politics followed the death of his younger brother, Sanjay Gandhi, in a plane crash in 1980.
He entered Parliament by winning the Amethi Lok Sabha by-election and subsequently rose rapidly within the Congress party. Following Indira Gandhi’s assassination, he became Prime Minister and led the Congress to a landslide victory in the 1984 Lok Sabha elections.
During his tenure, Rajiv Gandhi was associated with efforts to modernise India, particularly in areas such as telecommunications, technology and education. He also represented a generational shift in Indian politics and became one of the youngest heads of government in the world.
After the Congress lost the 1989 general elections, Rajiv Gandhi served as Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha.
Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated on May 21, 1991, in a bomb blast at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu while campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections. He was 46.
