‘Iron Lady of India’: PM Modi, Congress pay tributes to Indira Gandhi on her death anniversary
A formidable leader, she presided over several significant events such as the 1971 India-Pakistan War, and Operation Blue Star. She was the second-longest-serving Prime Minister of the country, serving from January 1966 to March 1977, as well as January 1980 to October 1984.
FollowFormer Prime Minister Indira Gandhi known as “Iron Lady of India”, was assassinated on this day, October 31 in 1984 by two of her own security guards. The Congress on Sunday paid tributes to former prime minister Indira Gandhi on her death anniversary, with former party chief Rahul Gandhi hailing her as a great example of women power.
Rahul Gandhi paid floral tributes to Indira Gandhi at her memorial "Shakti Sthal" here. Meanwhile, the Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet, “A great example of women power, humble tributes to Mrs. Indira Gandhi on her martyrdom day," he said. The Congress, in a tweet from its official Twitter handle, also lauded the former prime minister's contribution to the country. "She represented strength. She epitomised sacrifice. She personified service. A billion salutes to the Iron Lady of India, our very first woman Prime Minister, a true Bharat Ratna, Smt. Indira Gandhi, on her death anniversary.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also paid tribute to former Prime Minister on her 37th death anniversary. “Tributes to our former PM Smt. Indira Gandhi Ji on her death anniversary,” Modi tweeted. PM Modi had paid tribute to Gandhi in his monthly Mann ki Baat radio broadcast last Sunday as well.
The only female Prime Minister of the country, Gandhi was known for the reforms she introduced such as the nationalisation of banks and abolition of privy purses of the royal families. A formidable leader, she presided over several significant events such as the 1971 India-Pakistan War, and Operation Blue Star. She was the second-longest-serving Prime Minister of the country, serving from January 1966 to March 1977, as well as January 1980 to October 1984.
Under her leadership India undertook its first nuclear journey to detonate an indigenously designed nuclear device, helped create an independent country Bangladesh from Pakistan, and brought green revolution.
Gandhi’s bodyguards fired 31 bullets at her, out of which seven remained inside her body while 23 passed through her body. One bullet missed Gandhi during her assassination on October 31. Indira Gandhi remained popular even after her death, with BBC poll declaring her the “Woman of the Millennium” in 1999.
