Zeenews Bureau
New Delhi: President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and other dignitaries paid tributes to former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi on his 68th birth anniversary here on Monday.
The President, Prime Minister, Sonia Gandhi and her daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, among others, paid floral tributes at Veer Bhumi, the memorial to the former prime minister near Rajghat here.
Rajiv's son and Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi was not seen at the memorial during the prayer programme.
Defence Minister AK Antony, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia, MoS in PMO V Narayanswamy, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, were among the other leaders who paid floral tributes at the samadhi.
School children, clad in white dress, later marched towards the samadhi with a Tricolour to showcase a performance depicting communal harmony. Classical devotional music was being played throughout the programme.
The day is observed as 'Sadbhavana Diwas' (harmony day).
Rajiv Gandhi, the husband of United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi, was assassinated on May 21, 1991 in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu. He was India's prime minister between 1984 and 1989.
(With Agency inputs)
First Published: Monday, August 20, 2012, 10:54