Glowing tributes were paid to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi by Congressmen on his birth anniversary on Friday. To commemorate the day, a conference was organised at the Congress Bhawan in Dehradun on the day. Speaking on the occasion, the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president, Ganesh Godiyal said that Rajiv Gandhi was the architect of modern India. Godiyal said that the former PM was instrumental in strengthening the Panchayati Raj bodies which helped in decentralisation of power.
Former Chief Minister Harish Rawat termed Gandhi as the father of information technology and said that on the initiative of Gandhi a Centre for development of Telematics was established in August 1984 and he set up MTNL in the year 1986. Rawat said that by giving voting rights to youngsters of 18 years of age, Gandhi strengthened the democracy in the country. The deputy leader of Congress party in state assembly, Karan Mahra said that to provide quality education to the children of poor families Rajiv Gandhi established Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas. He said that lakhs of poor students are studying in 551 Navodaya Vidyalayas of the country where they get free education and residential facilities till class 12. Mahra reminded that Gandhi in his endeavour to modernise higher education announced National Education Policy in the year 1986.
Earlier in the day, a large number of Congressmen led by PCC president Ganesh Godiyal garlanded the statue of Rajiv Gandhi at Tehsil Chowk.