Indira took India to new heights: Azad

Remembering India's first woman Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on her 29th death anniversary, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad today said her revolutionary steps took the nation to new heights of progress and prosperity.
"Indira Gandhi's revolutionary steps took the nation to new heights of progress and prosperity," Azad said at a function organised by the Pradesh Congress Committee at its headquarters here today.
Recalling his association with Gandhi, Azad said she steered the country out of several challenges under her bold leadership.
She sacrificed her life for the unity and integrity of the nation, he said, adding she would always be remembered for her contribution towards strengthening the values of secularism and socialism.

JKPCC president Saif-ud-Din Soz described Indira as a dynamic and visionary leader under whose stewardship India emerged as a strong nation in the international arena, and achieved great success in eradicating poverty and hunger.
She always cared for the poor and common masses, and mingled with them to better understand their sufferings, he said, adding she was the symbol of women empowerment and launched various programmes for upliftment of weaker and deprived sections of the society.

He recalled her keen interest for the development of Jammu and Kashmir especially her bold initiatives to strengthen the party by uniting secular and democratic forces in the state.

He specially mentioned her visionary initiative to link Jammu and Kashmir through railway by laying the railway project up to Udhampur which has now been linked up to the last corner of state.
She always tried to maintain close rapport with the cadres of the party especially the people of the state as per the tradition of Nehru-Gandhi family, Soz added.
Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand, Congress leaders Madan Lal Sharma, MP, Dharam Pal Sharma, Mangat Ram Sharma, ministers Sham Lal Sharma and Raman Bhalla and other party leaders attended the function.