Speaking on the occasion of 33rd death anniversary of Indira Gandhi, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said that all must be unfazed and undaunted against the forces of darkness like the former prime minister. “Idea of India that Indira Gandhi fought for has been thrown fundamentally into question by rising intolerance that we see today,” Rahul was quoted as saying by ANI. “Like her (Indira Gandhi) we must all be unfazed and undaunted against the forces of darkness,” he added.
Indira, the only woman prime minister of India, had passed away on October 31, 1984, after she was assassinated by her personal bodyguards in the aftermath of Operation Blue Star, which left Amritsar’s Golden Temple in shambles. Earlier in the day, a number of politicians and celebrities paid tributes to Indira Gandhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his predecessor Manmohan Singh and former president Pranab Mukherjee were among the people who paid tributes to Indira Gandhi on her 33rd death anniversary. “Tributes to former PM Mrs Indira Gandhi on her death anniversary,” Modi said in a tweet.
Mukherjee, Singh and Rahul were the first ones to pay floral tributes to the late prime minister at ‘Shakti Sthal’ where she was cremated. Later, Singh and Rahul Gandhi also attended a prayer meeting at the Indira Gandhi Memorial at 1 Akbar Road in New Delhi.
Many former union ministers, senior Congress leaders and MPs were also present at both the places. “Remembering PM Smt Indira Gandhi today. A strong leader and a visionary who served the nation till her last breath,” Mukherjee tweeted. While Congress the vice-pesident tweeted a picture remembering the words of his grandmother, “Forgiveness is a virtue of the brave: Indira Gandhi.”