Oct 31: The Congress on Monday paid tributes to former prime minister Indira Gandhi, who was known as the Iron Lady of India, on her death anniversary.
Newly-elected party president Mallikarjun Kharge along with several other leaders paid floral tributes to Indira Gandhi at her memorial “Shakti Sthal”. Senior leader Rahul Gandhi, who is busy with ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’, remembered his grandmother by sharing a clip on his social media.
He wrote, “Grandmother, I am carrying both your love and sanskar in my heart. I will not allow the India to fall apart for which you have sacrificed your life.”
Indira served as the prime minister of India for three consecutive terms between 1966 to 1977 and a fourth term in 1980-1984.
Gandhi was assassinated by her bodyguards in 1984 by her bodyguards who had fired 31 bullets at her, of which 30 had hit, 23 had passed through her body and 7 were trapped inside her.
Some interesting facts about Indira Gandhi:
On 12 June 1975, Justice Jagmohanlal Sinha found Gandhi guilty of electoral malpractices. Sinha declared the election verdict in the Rae Bareilly constituency “null and void”, and barred Gandhi from holding elected office for six years.
In her younger days, Indira Gandhi liked to play card after lunch.
Indira Gandhi was first elected as the the President of the Indian National Congress in 1959 and entered the Rajya Sabha for the first time in 1964.
Gandhi was educated in Swiss schools and at Somerville college, Oxford
She was amongst the first Indians whose wax statue is at Madame Tussauds, London.
Indira Gandhi was expelled from the Congress party for violating the party discipline in 1969. Congress finally split with Indira Gandhi setting up a rival organization Indian National Congress.
