Lessons from grandmother: Rahul calls for unity 'against forces of darkness'

NEW DELHI: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi called for unity and national integration 'against the forces of darkness' on the 33rd death anniversary of his grandmother and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

Speaking at the award ceremony for Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration in the national capital on Tuesday, the Congress leader said, “Like her (Indira Gandhi) we must all be unfazed and undaunted against the forces of darkness that seek to engulf our land.”

He further added that “idea of national integration has never been more necessary than it is today.”

“Idea of India that Indira Gandhi fought for has been thrown fundamentally into question by rising intolerance that we see today. The liberal, tolerant Indian ethos that Indira Gandhi embodied in her life is openly being rejected and repudiated,” said Rahul. 

This year, the Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration was awarded to Carnatic musician Thodur Madabusi Krishna. 

The second-in-command of Congress party tweeted: 

Forgiveness is a virtue of the brave: Indira Gandhi pic.twitter.com/kjlDwVslpW — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) October 31, 2017

Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former PM Manmohan Singh and former president Pranab Mukherjee paid tributes to Indira Gandhi on her 33rd death anniversary.