New Delhi [India], May 21 : Congress leader Jagdish Tytler on Thursday paid tribute to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his 35th death anniversary, describing him as one of the most humane leaders he had ever worked with and stating that the country "needed him."
Speaking to reporters in the national capital, Tytler said Rajiv Gandhi stood out among the leaders he had worked with during his political career and praised his personal qualities.
"I never saw such a humane person in my life. He went away too soon; the country needed him. No one can say anything adverse about him," he said.
Recalling his experience of working under multiple Prime Ministers, he further said Rajiv Gandhi's leadership was unmatched. "I have worked with 5-6 Prime Ministers, but there would not be a PM like him," he added.
When asked whether Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's leadership style resembles that of Rajiv Gandhi, Tytler said both leaders were different in nature and cannot be compared.
"You can't compare. Rahul is another personality, about whom the present Prime Minister is worried. Rajiv Gandhi was a different person who should not have left us," he said.
Expressing confidence in Rahul Gandhi's leadership, Tytler added that the Congress leader would prove his capabilities in due course of time. "Rahul will show just what he is. Look at the way he is picking up Youth Congress and Congress. Everyone will appreciate his work," he added.
Earlier in the day, senior Congress leaders, including party Parliamentary Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, paid floral tributes to Rajiv Gandhi at Vir Bhumi in New Delhi on his death anniversary.
Several senior Congress leaders, including Ashok Gehlot, P Chidambaram, Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Mukul Wasnik, also paid homage to the former Prime Minister.
In a post on X, Kharge described Rajiv Gandhi as a "remarkable son of India" and credited him with transformative reforms such as lowering the voting age to 18, empowering Panchayati Raj institutions, advancing telecom and information technology, and introducing a forward-looking education policy.
Meanwhile, Hooda described Rajiv Gandhi as a "symbol of hope" for the youth and said the Gandhi family had made immense sacrifices for the country.
Ashok Gehlot also praised Rajiv Gandhi's vision for science, technology and youth empowerment, saying the former Prime Minister was among the first leaders to prepare India for the 21st century.
Rajiv Gandhi became India's youngest Prime Minister at the age of 40 after taking office in October 1984, following the assassination of his mother and then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. He served as Prime Minister until December 1989.
Born on August 20, 1944, Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by a Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) suicide bomber during an election rally at Sriperumbudur, in Tamil Nadu, on May 21, 1991.