Nation remembers Indira Gandhi on her birth anniversary

President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari and top leaders of the Congress paid rich tributes to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on her 97th birth anniversary but no one from the National Democratic Alliance government was present at the event.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi, party Vice President Rahul Gandhi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh were among the Congress leaders who paid floral tributes to the departed leader at her memorial Shakti Sthal on the banks of river Yamuna.

A recorded speech by Indira Gandhi was played on the occasion following which tri-colour balloons were released by the leaders.

Devotional music was played during the programme and an all-religion prayer was also organised.

In Tamil Nadu, leaders and cadres of the state Congress Committee also paid floral tributes to the late leader.

Former TNCC president M Krishnaswamy, former MLAs D Yasoda, U Balaraman, Youth Congress president Vijay Ilanchezhian, AICC member K Chiranjeevi were among those who paid floral tributes at the party headquarters "Satyamurthi Bhavan".

TNCC president EVKS Elangovan and several others paid tributes to Indira at the temple town of Madurai.

Image: President Pranab Mukherjee pays floral tributes at the samadhi of former prime minister Indira Gandhi on her 97th birth anniversary, at Shakti Sthal, in Delhi. Photograph: PIB 

Gandhi, was born on November 19, 1917 in the politically influential Nehru family. She was the first woman prime minister of India.