President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari and top leaders of the Congress today paid rich tributes to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on her 98th birth anniversary.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi, party Vice President Rahul Gandhi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh were among the Congress leaders, who paid floral tributes to the leader at her memorial 'Shakti Sthal' on the banks of river Yamuna.
Indira Gandhi was cremated at 'Shakti Sthal' after she was assassinated by two of her Sikh bodyguards on October 31, 1984.
Other Congress leaders to pay floral tributes to Gandhi, included MS Bitta, Ashok Gehlot and Motilal Vora, among others.
While no one from the NDA government was present at 'Shakti Sthal', Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to pay homage to Gandhi.
"Tributes to Indira ji on her birth anniversary," he tweeted.
A recorded speech by Indira Gandhi was played on the occasion, following which tri-colour balloons were released by the leaders.
Devotional music was played during the programme and an all-religion prayer was also organised.
Gandhi was born on November 19, 1917 in the politically influential Nehru family.
The first female Prime Minister of India, Gandhi served as PM from 1966 to 1977 and then again from 1980 until her assassination in 1984.
She is also the second-longest-serving Prime Minister of India.
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Punjab Congress today celebrated the 98th birth anniversary of former Prime Minister late Indira Gandhi at the Congress Bhawan in Chandigarh.
Floral tributes were offered at the portrait of Indira by several Punjab Pradesh Congress Leaders, a party spokesman said here.
Among those who paid the floral tributes to Indira included Executive Member Rajpal Singh, Jang Bahadur Singh Co-Chairman S C department, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC).
The Congress leaders remembered Indira's contribution for strengthening the economic and military power of the country.
They counted her achievements in 1971 Bangladesh war against Pakistan, the first atomic explosion of Pokhran in 1974 and the green revolution of early seventies.
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Leaders of the ruling Congress in Uttarakhand today paid rich tributes to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on her birth anniversary describing her as a great leader who laid down her life for the unity and integrity of the country.
The state unit of the party held a seminar at Congress bhawan here on Indira Gandhi's contribution in the international arena to mark the occasion, and remembered her active support to the Palestinian cause, her role in the 1971 Bangladesh war against Pakistan and all that she did to help India earn its unique international identity.
Addressing the seminar, PCC president Kishore Upadhyay said she had immense strength to fight the challenge posed by communal and divisive forces.
Asking party workers to stand united against such forces, he said it will be their true tribute to the great leader who proved her superiority over her peers in politics at a time when it used to be dominated by men.
He also remembered steps initiated by her to eliminate poverty and developing slum colonies.
"Crores of rupees being spent today for the development of slum colonies under the Nehru Urban Development mission is a result of what Mrs Gandhi did for slums as part of her 20-point programme," Upadhyay said.
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Speaking on the 98th birth anniversary of former Prime Minister late Indira Gandhi, former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said that the leader provided a strong and able leadership to the country.
"She was a visionary leader. Our country made great progress during her time..She always worked for uplifting the poor and downtrodden sections," he said at a function in Rohtak.
