Indira Gandhi's 101st Birth Anniversary: PM Modi, Rahul Gandhi and Other Leaders Pay Tribute

Indian leaders and politicians paid their tribute to country’s first woman Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi on her 101st birth anniversary on Monday, 19 November.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the first to pay his tributes.

Former Congress President Sonia Gandhi and current party chief Rahul Gandhi, along with former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and former President Pranab Mukherjee visited Shakti Sthal today in Delhi and paid their tributes. Former Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari was also present to pay respect to Indira Gandhi.

In a simple, yet powerful tribute to his grandmother, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi tweeted a photo of Indira Gandhi and captioned it “Forgiveness is a virtue.”

The official twitter account of Congress too, published a poignant tribute on her birth anniversary today. “Indira Gandhi, the first woman to lead this nation, was a force of nature. She led with strength, confidence & grace; she stood for what she believed in & followed her convictions. Today we honour the Iron Lady on her birth anniversary,” read the tweet. The only daughter of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi was destined for politics.

Congress leaders from Rajasthan and former state chief minister Ashok Gehlot remembered Indira Gandhi and said her contribution towards nation-building was "immense"."Paying tributes and homage to former PM Smt Indira Gandhi ji on her birth anniversary. Her contribution towards nation-building was immense. Her great love for the country and dedication towards the welfare of people would always be an inspiration," Gehlot tweeted.

The only daughter of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi was destined for politics. First appointed prime minister in 1966, she garnered widespread public support for agricultural improvements that led to India’s self-sufficiency in food grain production as well as for her success in the Pakistan war, which resulted in the creation of Bangladesh in 1971.

After serving three terms, Gandhi was voted out of office for her increasingly authoritarian policies, including a 21-month state of emergency in which Indians’ constitutional rights were restricted. In 1980, however, she was reelected to a fourth term.

Following a deadly confrontation at the Sikh’s holiest temple in Punjab four years later, Gandhi was assassinated by two of her bodyguards on October 31, 1984, ushering her son Rajiv into power and igniting extensive anti-Sikh riots.