The Telangana Pradesh Congress Pradesh (TPCC) leaders paid rich tributes to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his 76th birth anniversary on Thursday.
TPCC president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, along with CLP leader Bhatti Vikramarka, former CLP leader K. Jana Reddy, former PCC presidents V. Hanumantha Rao and Ponnnala Lakshmaiah, MLA Jagga Reddy, AICC Secretary A. Sampath Kumar, Hyderabad Congress president M. Anjan Yadav and others paid floral tributes to Rajiv Gandhi at his statue in Somajiguda.
Later, they also paid floral tributes to Rajiv Gandhi’s portrait at the Gandhi Bhavan. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Uttam Kumar Reddy said that Rajiv Gandhi left an indelible impression of his regime. He reminded that it was Rajiv Gandhi who empowered the youth by granting voting rights to the people of 18 years of age so as to involve them in the nation-building exercise. Rajiv Gandhi also promoted Science and Technology and inculcated scientific temper among all citizens. He introduced large-scale reforms to boost the technological industry by reducing taxes, encouraged modernisation of industries and promoted higher foreign investments in the economy. He was the architect of digital India and father of Information Technology and Telecom Revolution of India, Mr. Reddy reminded.
The TPCC president also recalled how Rajiv Gandhi strengthened rural India and championed the cause of Panchayati Raj system through the 72nd Constitutional Amendment and created the third tier of government after the Centre and the States. “He believed in moral-based politics and therefore, introduced the Anti-Defection Law. Rajiv Gandhi as prime minister also announced National Policy on Education (NPE) in 1986 to modernise and expand higher education programmes across the country.”
Stating that Rajiv Gandhi and his mother and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi made the supreme sacrifice of laying down their lives for the integrity of the nation, he found fault with the efforts to assassinate their character by the Narender Modi government.