During her tenure as PM, Indira Gandhi took many decisions which changed the course of India's history
India's former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was born today, on November 19 in the year 1917 in Uttar Pradesh's Allahabad. She was born to first Prime Minister of India Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Kamala Nehru. Indira Gandhi served as the Prime Minister of the country for three terms, a period totaling almost 16 years. She was the second longest-serving PM after her father, who became the country's Prime Minister after the British left India.
During her tenure as Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi took many decisions which changed the course of India's history. Some of the notable decisions that she took during her reign included the nationalisation of banks and abolishing the privy purses of the princely states in the country.
Indira Gandhi's reign was however cut short after she was assassinated by her own bodyguards at her residence in Delhi's Akbar Road on October 31, 1984.
The assassination was planned after Indira Gandhi took the decision to commence Operation Bluestar, which led the Indian Army to storm Amritsar's Golden Temple, a holy Sikh shrine, in order to neutralize Sikh separatists who had sought refuge there.
On the 101st birth anniversary, political leaders across party lines paid their respects today to Indira Gandhi.
Sonia Gandhi, along with her son Congress president Rahul Gandhi and several other Congress leaders, including former PM Manmohan Singh, former president Pranab Mukherjee, former vice president Hamid Ansari, paid tribute to her at Shakti Sthal, according to news agency PTI.
In a tweet, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid his respects to Indira Gandhi, saying "Tributes to India's former Prime Minister, Mrs Indira Gandhi Ji on her birth anniversary."
Rahul Gandhi tweeted his tribute as well, quoting his grandmother in the tweet. "Forgiveness is a virtue of the brave," Rahul Gandhi's tweet says.
Congress' official Twitter handle tweeted a short video to pay tribute to the former Prime Minister. "Her courage, her strength, her conviction and so much more," the tweet said.
Union minister Rajnath Singh also tweeted his tribute by uploading a photo of him paying his respects at Shakti Sthal.
Senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot also tweeted his tribute, saying "Her great love for the country and dedication towards welfare of people would always be an inspiration."
Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala also paid his respects on social media and in a tweet, said "My humble homage to Smt. Indira Gandhi who lived and died in the service of the Nation."
Indira Gandhi has often been described as the 'Iron Lady of India'.
(With Inputs From PTI And ANI)