Yog Raj Sharma
The North News
Shimla, October 31
Himachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri and state Congress President Pratibha Singh on Friday paid floral tributes to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi at her statue on Shimla’s historic Ridge, marking her death anniversary observed as Sankalp Diwas.
Addressing the gathering, Agnihotri praised Gandhi’s decisive leadership, saying her tenure transformed India’s political and economic landscape. “From the nationalisation of banks and the Green Revolution to the 1971 war victory and Himachal’s statehood, Indira Gandhi made historic choices that changed India’s destiny,” he said. Agnihotri added that Gandhi “sacrificed her life for the unity and integrity of India,” and described her as a symbol of courage and determination whose vision continues to inspire generations.
The Deputy Chief Minister also paid homage to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, whose birth anniversary coincides with Gandhi’s death anniversary. He criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), saying that “the Congress respects all great leaders, and the BJP should refrain from politicising their legacies.”
State Congress President Pratibha Singh echoed the tribute, noting that “the entire nation remembers Indira Gandhi’s supreme sacrifice for the country.” Turning to organisational matters, she urged the Congress high command to expedite the expansion of the state unit, citing the upcoming panchayat elections. She said Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Deputy CM Agnihotri had already shared their feedback with party in-charge Rajni Patil, and she too had raised the issue in Delhi. “The reorganisation of the party in Himachal should not be delayed,” she added.
