Indira Gandhi remembered on her 23rd death anniversary

New Delhi, Oct 31 (UNI) President Pratibha Devisingh Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today led the nation in paying rich tributes to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on her 23rd death anniversary.

At a rememberance ceremony held at Shakti Sthal, the 'samadhi' of Mrs Gandhi, this morning, floral tributes were offered by Ms Patil, Dr Singh, Vice-President Hamid Ansari, Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and a host of dignitaries.

A prayer meeting was also organised on the occasion at the Indira Gandhi memorial trust. Among those present were Dr Singh, Ms Gandhi, AICC General Secretary Rahul Gandhi, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil, Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh and other Union Cabinet members.

The Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC), under the leadership of president Jai Prakash Agarwal, MP organised a function at Rajiv Bhawan, DPCC office, where thousands of Congress workers and leaders turned up to pay homage to Mrs Gandhi.

A 42-minute documentary film on Mrs Indira Gandhi was shown on the occasion which traced the life of the late Prime Minister from freedom struggle till her death, including her landmark speeches.

In Panaji, Goa government observed the day as ''Rashtriya Sankalp Divas'' with the government led by Chief Secretary J P Singh garlanding the portrait of Mrs Gandhi at the Porvorim Secretariat complex in presence of all secretaries and bureaucrats.

In Tiruchirapalli, Urban District Congress President Jerome Arokiaraj and Mayor Charubala Thondaman garlanded the statue and paid rich tributes to Mrs Indira Gandhi.

Madhya Pradesh paid rich tributes to Mrs Gandhi. Both ruling and opposition party leaders garlanded the statue of Mrs Gandhi at GAD square this morning. Various rallies and seminars were organised on the occasion in Bhopal.

In Puducherry, floral tributes were paid to Late Prime Minister by Chief Minister N Rangasamy, his cabinet collegues Speaker R Radhakrishnan, legislators, V Narayansamy, MP, and senior officials of the territorial administration.

In Tamil Nadu, floral tributes were paid to Mrs Gandhi at Chennai. Senior Congress leaders paid tributes to a decorated portrait of Mrs Gandhi at the Party headquarters Sathyamoorthy Bhavan.

Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, paying rich tributes to Mrs Gandhi, said she was not only a great leader of the country but a leader of international fame.The Chief Minister said Haryana was formed by Mrs Gandhi in 1966 and she had also provided liberal financial assistance to the state for its rapid development.

Maharashtra also joined the nation in remembering Mrs Gandhi.

Special functions were organised at the Maharashtra Congress and Mumbai Congress offices, where the late leader's contribution to nation building was recalled.

In Patna, floral tributes were paid to Mrs Indira Gandhi. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar paid floral tributes to Mrs Gandhi at a function organised at the Srikrishna Memorial Hall here.

UNI