Congress leaders in K'taka pay tribute to Rajiv Gandhi, credit him for IT revolution, lowering voting age
May 21, 2020
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], May 21 : Karnataka Congress leaders DK Shivakumar, Dinesh Gundu Rao, among others, paid tribute to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his 29th death anniversary on Thursday.
After paying tributes to the former Prime Minister, Shivakumar hailed him as a great leader who had lowered the voting age from 21 to 18 and credited him for the revolution in India's Information Technology (IT) sector.
"Followers of Rajiv Gandhi have been visiting here every year. He was a great leader of the country, who gave strength to the youth, giving 18-year old boys a (chance to) vote. If at all in this country an IT revolution took place, it is due to Rajiv Gandhi. His one move created second-line leaders who had confidence from local bodies," Shivakumar told ANI here.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tributes to Rajiv Gandhi.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also paid homage to his father and the former Prime Minister saying, "He is proud to be the son of a true patriot."
Rajiv Gandhi took over the charge of Congress in 1984 following the assassination of his mother and then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. He became India's youngest Prime Minister at the age of 40.
Born on August 20, 1944, Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by a Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) suicide bomber during an election rally in Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu on May 21, 1991.
