New Delhi: The nation on Saturday remembered late prime minister Indira Gandhi on her 25th death anniversary with leaders paying homage to her.
Vice President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul paid floral tributes to the late leader at her memorial Shakti Sthal.
Congress leaders Sushil Kumar Shinde, AK Antony, Ahmed Patel, Ajay Maken, R K Dhawan and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit were among others who paid homage to the late prime minister.
Indra Gandhi was assassinated by two of her Sikh body
guards at her residence on October 31, 1984.
Congress party has also planned a series of events to mark the 25th death anniversary of the former prime minister Indira Gandhi.
An exhibition on the life and times of Indira Gandhi, national integration rallies across the country, blood donation camps and the screening of a short film – are some of the events planned for the day.
“People remember her indomitable courage, taking up the cause of the underprivileged, tremendous contribution as Prime Minister and leader of the Congress and in ensuring social justice and greater national integration,” party spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan told reporters in the Capital.
She said Congress rededicates itself to her vision, ideals and commitment to the welfare of disadvantaged sections of the society.
The AICC has organised a series of functions to commemorate the occasion.
In every block, district and state of the country, the party has asked its office-bearers to observe a two-minute silence at 0920 hrs IST, the time when Gandhi was assassinated.
It would be followed by a blood donation camp and a seminar and symposium on national integration at the district and state level.
Rallies on national integration titled “All of us are one” will also be taken out.
In Delhi, the party would have three programmes at Shakti Sthal, the place where Gandhi was cremated, at 1 Safdarjung Road, where she was assassinated and the Indira Gandhi Award function for national integration.
Party president Sonia Gandhi and top Congress leaders would attend all the three functions.
An exhibition on the life and times of Indira Gandhi has also been organised in the Capital in which rare photographs and literature would be displayed.
A feature of the two-day exhibition, to be held on October 31 and November 1, will be a 42-minute film on Gandhi, who was assassinated by her own security guards on October 31, 1984.
Bureau Report
First Published: Saturday, October 31, 2009, 10:57