Tue Nov 19 01:50:00 UTC 2024: ## Congress Pays Tribute to Indira Gandhi on Her Birth Anniversary
**New Delhi, November 19** – The Indian National Congress (INC) today paid homage to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on her birth anniversary, commemorating her contributions to the nation. Party president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, visited Shakti Sthal, Gandhi’s memorial, to offer floral tributes.
Born on November 19, 1917, in Prayagraj, Indira Gandhi served as India’s first female Prime Minister from January 1966 to March 1977, and again from 1980 until her assassination. The only child of India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, she was known as the “Iron Lady” for her decisive leadership. Her tenure witnessed significant events, including the 1971 victory over Pakistan that led to the creation of Bangladesh. However, her legacy is also marked by the controversial Emergency of 1975 and her assassination in 1984 by her own security guards.
Gandhi’s political career began as a minister under Lal Bahadur Shastri. Initially hesitant in public speaking, she later became a powerful orator. Her inter-caste marriage to Feroze Gandhi in 1942 was also noteworthy. Following the Bangladesh Liberation War, she was praised by Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who described her as an incarnation of Goddess Durga. Operation Blue Star, undertaken at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, however, alienated a section of the Sikh community, contributing to her eventual assassination. The Congress party continues to remember her as a pivotal figure in Indian history.
First Piper 