TNI Bureau: The entire nation paid tribute to former prime minister of India Mrs. Indira Gandhi on her 28th death anniversary today. The strong leader was assassinated by her two Sikh bodyguards at her residence on October 31, 1984. Her contribution in building a powerful India will be remembered forever.

President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi paid floral tribute to Indira Gandhi at Shakti Sthal in New Delhi.

The Congress workers are also organising functions throughout the country to mark the occasion. In Odisha, the state PCC chief Niranjan Patnaik along with other senior leaders paid tribute to the late leader at Indira Gandhi Park in Bhubaneswar.

Mrs Gandhi had served as the third Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms from 1966–1977 and a fourth term from 1980–1984. She was the first woman to become prime minister in India and second female head of government in the world after Sirimavo Bandaranaike of Sri Lanka.

She could be best remembered for giving strong leadership to the country during the conflict with Pakistan in 1971. She would take the credit for establishing closer relations with the Soviet Union. However, she had faced a lot of criticism for declaring state of emergency in 1975. She had shown her daringness by ordering the ‘Operation Blue Star’ against Sikh militants, which resulted in her assassination.