PM Modi, top Congress leaders pay tributes to Rajiv Gandhi on his 75th birth anniversary

New Delhi, Aug 20: Rajiv Gandhi, who served as the seventh Prime Minister of India was born on August 20, 1944.

Celebrated as Sadbhavana Diwas, the day commemorates the memory of late Prime Minister and propagates communal harmony, peace and national integrity within India.

Paying homage to his memory and legacy, prime minister Narendra Modi Congress Interim President Sonia Gandhi, Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi paid tribute to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on Veer Bhoomi, where he was cremated.

"Tributes to our former PM Shri Rajiv Gandhi on his birth anniversary," Modi tweeted.

Gandhi was born on this day in 1944 in Mumbai.

Rahul Gandhi on Monday drew attention to his achievement in bringing an information technology and telecom revolution in the country.

The former PM's birth anniversary falls on August 20. The Rajiv Gandhi Jyoti sadhbhavna Yatra reached Delhi on Monday from Sriperumbudur. The day is observed to encourage national integration, peace, affection and communal harmony.

In a tweet, Rahul wrote, "This week we will celebrate my father, Rajiv Gandhi Ji's 75th birth anniversary with memorial events across India. To honour him, each day this week, I will draw attention to one of his many incredible achievements. Today, the Information Technology revolution."

He also shared a 55-second clip highlighting the achievements of his father. In 1992, All India Congress Committee of the Indian National Congress in memory of the late PM instituted Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana award. Every year this award is given to those who have devoted their life in understanding and promoting social harmony.

On August 22, a programme will be held in the national capital where the award will be presented in the presence of Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

Rajiv Gandhi was born on this day in 1944 and served as the prime minister of India from 1984 to 1989, becoming the youngest Prime Minister of India.

Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in 1991 by a woman operative of the separatist Lankan Tamil outfit LTTE, who greeted him at a rally in Tamil Nadu's Sriperumbudur town with a bomb strapped to her chest.

He was busy campaigning for the Congress for the national elections as party president when he was assassinated in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu. His death anniversary is also observed as Anti-Terrorism day.