Tributes paid to Rajiv Gandhi recalling his communal peace rally at Charminar

Tributes were paid to late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and his contribution to communal harmony in the country were recalled by the Congress leaders at the Rajiv Gandhi Sadbhavana Yatra commemorative meeting at Charminar on Monday (October 19, 2026).

The meeting is held every year since 1990 to commemorate former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s message of communal harmony and national integration from Charminar. The programme was held under the chairmanship of Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy and Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president and MLC Mahesh Kumar Goud.

Speaking on the occasion Mr. Goud alleged that attempts were being made to erase the contributions of national leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru from public memory and rewrite history. The younger generation needed to understand the role played by the Congress in the freedom struggle, he said.

Crediting Rajiv Gandhi with lowering the voting age to 18, Mr. Goud said his vision also helped lay the foundation for the wider use of modern technology in India. He said the Congress’s history was intertwined with sacrifice, citing former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s commitment to the country and Sonia Gandhi’s decision to forgo the Prime Minister’s post as examples of the party’s values.

Questioning the BJP’s claims to patriotism, he asked whether BJP and RSS leaders had sacrificed even a drop of blood for the country. The Congress, he said, stood for sacrifice and service to the nation.

The meeting was attended by AICC secretary Sachin Sawant, AICC leader Gidugu Rudra Raju, TPCC vice-presidents, District Congress Committee presidents, party general secretaries and other Congress leaders.

Mr. Reddy said a “silent revolution” was sweeping the country under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, with people increasingly looking for an alternative to the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said growing public support for Mr. Rahul Gandhi and the Congress reflected a broader desire for national political change.

Recalling Rajiv Gandhi’s association with Hyderabad through the Sadbhavana Yatra, Mr. Reddy congratulated former PCC president V. Hanumantha Rao and the Rajiv Sadbhavana Award Committee for maintaining the tradition for more than three decades.

Mr. Sawant, said in his address that Rajiv Gandhi’s vision of a modern, self-reliant India rested on unity, mutual respect, and a willingness to place national interest above political considerations. He also highlighted Rajiv Gandhi’s efforts to restore peace in Punjab, Assam and Mizoram, strengthen Panchayati Raj institutions, expand women’s participation in local governance and reduce the voting age from 21 to 18 years.

Dr. C. Mallikarjuna, Founder, Managing Director and Chief Consultant Urologist of the Asian Institute of Nephrology and Urology, Hyderabad, was honoured at the function in recognition of his service to society.