'Papa, I will fully shoulder...': Rahul Gandhi remembers father Rajiv Gandhi with emotional note, childhood photo

NEW DELHI: Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday paid tribute to his father and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi by sharing a childhood photograph with him on his 35th death anniversary. Paying tribute to him, Rahul said he would continue working towards fulfilling his father's vision of a strong and prosperous India.In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi wrote, "Papa, I will fully shoulder the responsibility of realizing the dream of a skilled, prosperous, and strong India that you envisioned. Your teachings, your values, and your memories will always remain with me."Senior Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, also paid homage to Rajiv Gandhi at his memorial Vir Bhumi in Delhi. Priyanka Gandhi's children Miraya and Raihan Vadra were also present during the tribute ceremony.Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge remembered Rajiv Gandhi as a 'remarkable son of India' and highlighted his role in shaping modern India through reforms in technology, education and local governance.In a post on X, Kharge wrote, "India is an old country but a young nation... I dream of India — strong, independent, self-reliant and in the front rank of the nations of the world, in the service of mankind.""On his martyrdom day, we pay our deepest respects to Former Prime Minister and Bharat Ratna Rajiv Gandhi, a remarkable son of India who inspired hope and aspiration in millions across the nation," he added.Senior Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda described Rajiv Gandhi as a symbol of hope for the youth and said the Gandhi family had made sacrifices for the country over generations."Rajiv Gandhi was about to become the PM again before he was assassinated. He was doing everything he could for India. He was a symbol of hope for the Indian youth, who looked up to him," Hooda said while speaking to reporters at Vir Bhumi.Congress leader Ashok Gehlot also praised Rajiv Gandhi’s vision for science, technology and youth empowerment."Rajiv Gandhi was the first person to talk about the 21st Century in that era. He believed that people should prepare themselves for the new century, which would keep India on par with other countries in the world," Gehlot said.Rajiv Gandhi became India’s youngest Prime Minister in 1984 at the age of 40 after the assassination of his mother and then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. He served as Prime Minister till 1989 and was assassinated in 1991 during an election rally in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, in a suicide bombing carried out by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.