Childhood picture of Rahul Gandhi with his father Rajiv Gandhi

New Delhi: Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday paid tribute to his father and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his 35th death anniversary by sharing a childhood picture with him. Paying tribute to him, Rahul said he would continue to work towards fulfilling his father’s dream of a strong and prosperous India.In a post on Twitter, Rahul Gandhi wrote, “Papa, I will fully fulfill the responsibility of realizing the dream of an efficient, prosperous and strong India that you saw. Your teachings, your values ​​and your memories will always be with me.”Senior Congress leaders including Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also paid tribute to Rajiv Gandhi at his memorial Veer Bhoomi in Delhi. Priyanka Gandhi’s children Miraya and Rehan 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 onHe said, “We pay our deepest tribute to former Prime Minister and Bharat Ratna Rajiv Gandhi, a remarkable son of India who inspired hope and aspiration in millions across the country, on his Martyrdom Day.”Senior Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda described Rajiv Gandhi as a symbol of hope for the youth and said that the Gandhi family has made sacrifices for the country for generations.“Rajiv Gandhi was about to become Prime Minister again before his assassination. 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 Veer Bhoomi.Congress leader Ashok Gehlot also praised Rajiv Gandhi’s vision for science, technology and youth empowerment.Gehlot said, “Rajiv Gandhi was the first person in that era to talk about the 21st century. He believed that people should prepare themselves for the new century, which will keep India at par with other countries of the world.”Rajiv Gandhi became India’s youngest Prime Minister at the age of 40 in 1984 following the assassination of his mother and then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. He served as Prime Minister until 1989 and was assassinated in 1991 in a suicide bombing carried out by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam during an election rally in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu.