Sriperumbudur: Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar visited the memorial of late former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, on Thursday evening to mark his birth anniversary and pay respects at the martyrdom site.
Speaking to reporters after laying tributes, Shivakumar described Rajiv Gandhi as a visionary leader who nurtured numerous political leaders across the country, saying paying homage to him was a fundamental duty.
“Today marks Rajiv Gandhi’s birth anniversary. I share a deep emotional connection with this memorial and have been visiting it continuously for the past 15 years. During Jayalalithaa’s tenure as Chief Minister, when this memorial was being built, I had the privilege of contributing to the effort. The monolithic granite pillar installed at this memorial was brought directly from our quarry in Kanakapura,” he said.
Shivakumar added that Sriperumbudur was the sacred location where Rajiv Gandhi sacrificed his life for the nation.
“Having arrived to attend the Southern States Chief Ministers’ Conference, I made it a point to utilise this opportunity to visit here and pay my respects,” he said.
He noted that Rajiv Gandhi empowered the youth by lowering the voting age to 18 years. “That decision reflected his immense belief in the youth of India. His ideology shaped all of us, and carrying his legacy forward is our sacred responsibility,” he said.
Shivakumar recalled visiting the site alongside Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, before the Bharat Jodo Yatra.
“Every year, the ‘Rajiv Jyoti’ is brought here from Karnataka and then carried onwards to Delhi. Though Rajiv Gandhi is no longer physically among us, his ideology and leadership remain vibrant and alive,” he said.
He emphasised the Gandhi family’s role in guiding the nation.
“The strength of the Congress party is the strength of the nation, and the history of Congress is the history of India. The connection between the Gandhi family and the Congress is eternal. The contributions of this family to the nation are unparalleled; Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi all made supreme sacrifices for the country. Visiting this place on behalf of Karnataka and as a Congressman is my absolute duty,” he said.
When asked about media commentary projecting Tamil Nadu political leaders as prospective Prime Ministerial candidates, Shivakumar remarked:
“Rather than making political statements, leaders should focus on building the country. During the Southern Chief Ministers’ Conference, we raised the crucial issue of electoral delimitation. All southern states unanimously demand that the upcoming delimitation exercise be based on the 1971 Census figures rather than current population metrics. Politicians must refrain from getting ahead of themselves in grand political debates and instead prioritise the core work of nation building.”
(IANS)
