Wed May 21 01:50:00 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a summary of the text and a rewritten version as a news article:
**Summary:**
Today marks the 34th death anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Political leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, paid tribute to him. Rahul Gandhi shared a childhood photo with his father, while Kharge highlighted Rajiv Gandhi’s contributions to India’s progress, such as lowering the voting age, strengthening Panchayati Raj, initiating the telecom and IT revolution, and promoting computerization. Other leaders like Mamata Banerjee also remembered him fondly. Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in a suicide bombing by the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) in 1991, due to resentment over his decision to send a peace keeping force to Sri Lanka. He was India’s youngest Prime Minister, taking office at the age of 40 after his mother, Indira Gandhi, was assassinated in 1984. During his tenure, he focused on technology and education, including establishing Jawahar Navodaya schools and expanding telephone access.
**News Article:**
**Nation Remembers Rajiv Gandhi on 34th Death Anniversary**
**New Delhi, India** – India today commemorated the 34th death anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Tributes poured in from across the political spectrum, honoring his contributions to the nation.
Rahul Gandhi, son of the late Prime Minister, and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, visited Veer Bhumi in Delhi to pay their respects. Rahul Gandhi shared a poignant childhood photo on social media platform ‘X’, remembering his father and vowing to fulfill his unrealized dreams.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also offered his respects, stating, “I pay homage to our former Prime Minister Shri Rajiv Gandhi Ji on his death anniversary.”
Mallikarjun Kharge lauded Rajiv Gandhi’s visionary leadership, highlighting his role in preparing India for the 21st century. Kharge emphasized Gandhi’s pivotal achievements, including lowering the voting age to 18, empowering Panchayati Raj institutions, spearheading the telecom and IT revolution, promoting computerization, brokering peace accords, launching crucial vaccination programs, and implementing an inclusive education policy.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also paid tribute, remembering Rajiv Gandhi as a visionary leader and a martyr for the country.
Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated on May 21, 1991, in Sriperumbudur, near Chennai, by a suicide bomber linked to the LTTE. The attack, which also killed 15 others, was attributed to the LTTE’s resentment over Gandhi’s decision to send Indian peacekeeping forces to Sri Lanka.
Rajiv Gandhi became India’s youngest Prime Minister at the age of 40, following the assassination of his mother, Indira Gandhi, in 1984. His tenure was marked by a focus on modernizing India through technology and education. Key initiatives included the establishment of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas and the expansion of telephone access to rural areas through Public Call Offices (PCOs).