Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in a suicide bombing in Sriperumbudur on May 21, 1991
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi today paid floral tributes to his father and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi at a memorial in Sriperumbudur near Chennai. Mr Gandhi said he lost his father to "hate and division" and does not want to lose his country.
The Wayanad MP, who arrived in Chennai on Tuesday to participate in the Congress's Bharat Jodo Yatra, began the day by offering tributes to Rajiv Gandhi and sat in silent prayer.
Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in a suicide bombing in Sriperumbudur on May 21, 1991.
"I lost my father to the politics of hate and division. I will not lose my beloved country to it too. Love will conquer hate. Hope will defeat fear. Together, we will overcome," Mr Gandhi tweeted, along with a photo showing him offering floral tributes at his father's memorial.
He shared a live video of his visit to Rajiv Gandhi Memorial in the Tamil Nadu district.
Earlier, Mr Gandhi planted a sapling at the memorial. Tamil Nadu Congress chief KS Alagiri and other senior party leaders accompanied Mr Gandhi.
He will leave for the southern coastal Kanyakumari district and after visiting the twin memorials for the savants - Thiruvalluvar and Swami Vivekananda besides those for Kamaraj and Gandhi Mandapam - he launched the 3,500-km-long Bharat Jodo Yatra covering 12 states.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin will present Mr Rahul with the national flag made from khadi to be handed over to Seva Dal workers managing the foot march.