On the occasion of 75th birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, Congress party’s Jharkhand In-Charge RPN Singh and Congress Legislative Party Leader Alamgir Alam flagged off a Sadbhavna Daud (marathon run) in Ranchi’s Morhabadi Ground on Tuesday. Hundreds of Congress party workers participated in the run, which began from the Mahatra Gandhi Statue in Morhabadi at 6.30 am on Tuesday.

Singh gave away certificates and cash prize of up to `10,000 to the winners of the run from different categories. Senior Congress leaders Rameshwar Oraon and Pradeep Balmuchu, former Union Minister Subodh Kant Sahay and Congress legislators Sukhdeo Bhagat and Irfan Ansari also attended the grand ceremony at Shaheed Smarak near Booty More.

JPCC celebrated the day as Sadbhavna Diwas at the Congress Bhavan in Ranchi. Singh and other senior leaders of the party garlanded Rajiv Gandhi’s portrait at the party’s State headquarters and spoke about his contributions in building India.

“Late Rajiv Gandhi was the father was modern India and Sanchar Kranti (revolution in the field of communication). On one hand, he strengthened villages by gifting Panchayati Raj to the rural people and on the other hand, he worked for developing communication technology for urban populace.

In order to involve the youth in nation building, he reduced the eligible age for voting from 21 years to 18 years. His contribution in the field of Information Technology can never be forgotten,” said Singh.

Later in the day, hundreds of Congress party workers took out a bike rally from

Harmu Ground to Congress Bhavan via Birsa Chowk, Rajendra Chowk, Mahatma Gandhi Road and Albert Ekka Chowk. Carrying a cutout of Gandhi’s picture and official flag of the Congress party, these workers chanted slogans in praise of Rajiv Gandhi’s contribution to India. “Through these programmes the Congress party is spreading awareness among the youth about the life of late Rajiv Gandhi and his

 contributions towards the development of the country,” said Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee’s (JPCC) Spokesperson Lal Kishorenath Shahdeo.

Besides, all senior leaders and office bearers of JPCC paid floral tribute to Gandhi on his 75th birth anniversary. Rajiv Gandhi was the sixth Prime Minister of India.

He served the position from 1984 to 1989. Among all the Prime Ministers India has ever had since Independence, Gandhi was the youngest.

He took charge as the Prime Minister at a young age of 40 after assassination of his mother, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

The Congress party on Tuesday held grand events across the country to mark the birth anniversary of Gandhi.