New Delhi [India], August 20 : Top Congress leaders, including Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, paid floral tribute to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his 82nd birth anniversary in the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan on Thursday.
Speaking at the 'Hara Bhara Swaraj: A Tribute to Rajiv Gandhi's Vision' event, Rahul Gandhi delivered a scathing critique of corporate concentration and economic centralisation in India, drawing a sharp distinction between true democratic self-rule (Swaraj) and monopolistic control.
"There's no possibility of Swaraj for the large mass of Indian people if one man owns every single business in this country. It cannot be done. Why? Because some of you in this room should own airports, should own ports, should own companies, should run cement companies. Others should be bureaucrats who can express themselves and are not forced because of Adani's money to do exactly what he wants," he said.
The LoP in Lok Sabha invoked Mahatma Gandhi's principles, emphasising that structural reforms are essential for grassroots democracy. He argued that economic and institutional equality are non-negotiable foundations for the nation:
"Gandhiji's vision cannot exist without certain fundamental things. It cannot exist with an education system that is as expensive as it is. It cannot exist with a testing system that is as unfair as it is. It cannot exist with a financial system that is monopolised by two or three people. It cannot exist without a political system that reaches deep inside the country, Panchayat-e-Raj, MLAs, MPs, et cetera," he said.
Rajiv Gandhi became the youngest Prime Minister of India when he assumed office in October 1984 at the age of 40, following the assassination of his mother and then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. He remained in office till December 2, 1989.
Born on August 20, 1944, Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by an LTTE suicide bomber during an election rally in Tamil Nadu's Sriperumbudur on May 21, 1991.
His government's Computer and IT Policy reduced import duties on computers and software, laying the foundation for India's information technology growth. In 1988, his government's policies helped establish the National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM), boosting the country's software industry.