Manmohan, Sonia, Rahul pay tribute to Indira, Patel

Former prime minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and party vice president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday paid tribute to former prime minister Indira Gandhi on her death anniversary.

They paid tribute to Indira Gandhi at the Shakti Sthal memorial site dedicated to her.

The three Congress leaders also paid tribute to former union minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his birth anniversary.

"We pay tribute to Indira Gandhi today (Saturday). A leader with courage and compassion.She protected the poor and died for India," Rahul Gandhi tweeted.

In his tweet, Rahul Gandhi said: "My tribute to Sardar Patel on his birth anniversary. One of the founding fathers of our nation,a patriot and a great congressman."

"His (Patel) contribution to unifying India & guarding against fundamentalist forces will always inspire us," he said.

Rahul Gandhi said Sardar Patel was truly India's Iron Man. He believed in a strong, united India where every Indian is equal.

The Congress party on its official tweeter account stated: "We pay homage to Smt Indira Gandhi & Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel today (Saturday).

Indira Gandhi was assassinated on October 31, 1984 by her bodyguards a few months after the Indian Army took action in the Harmandir Sahib, popularly called Golden Temple, in Amritsar as part of a move to counter the insurgency in Punjab.

She held the office of prime minister from January 1966 to March 1977. She also became the prime minister from January 14, 1980 till her death on October 31, 1984.

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, called as the "Iron Man of India", was a political and social leader, who played a major role in the country's struggle for independence and subsequently guided its integration into a united, independent nation.

Patel was born on October 31, 1875 in Gujarat's Nadiad town. He died on December 15, 1950.