Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi pay tribute to Indira Gandhi on her 98th birth anniversary

New Delhi: Congress president Sonia Gandhi and party vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday offered floral tributes to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on her 98th birth anniversary. President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari and former prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh also offered floral tributes to India's first woman Prime Minister at her memorial in Shakti Sthal. A series of functions have been organized today to highlight contribution of Indira Gandhi in nation building.

Rahul Gandhi speaks at International Conference to mark 125th Birth Anniversary of Pt. Nehru

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi while speaking at the concluding session of the International Conference organised by the Congress party to commemorate the 125th birth anniversary of Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first Prime Minister, said that Nehru never believed in violence. “I wish we could see some of Nehru's India... Nehru's ideas and politics are relevant even today. There are attempts to destroy Nehru's legacy today. Nehru is an ancient idea but still part of living India; It is important to preserve Nehru's India where all live in peace, a secular India. Nehru was a man of idea was never an ideologue; he never imposed his ideas on anyone. Nehru had thanked British for imprisoning him as he could a learn a lot from jail life and to be free from anger. Nehru tried to merge with India and India in turn merged with Nehru. Nehru believed strongly that everyone has the right to have their own views. What really hurts me today, is how we can condemn people because their ideas are not of our own. India became a democracy with all freedom due to Pt Nehru. India built a democratic movement with no bloodshed, no violence under the leader ship of great persons like Nehru. Nehru never believed in violence. Democracy is not a ritual that takes place in every 5 years. It is the process of involving & empowering the weakest. More than a man Nehru had a dynamic way of thinking ; so let us not diminish Nehru; let us learn from him. Let us learn from Nehru's examples, his ideas of freedom; never suppress any idea” he said.