Rahul, Priyanka remember Indira Gandhi on her death anniversary

NEW DELHI On the death anniversary of his grandmother and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday (October 31, 2026) recalled a 'mantra' from the Upanishads that she made him repeat as a child, saying it was a "beautiful gift" from her. Mr. Rahul Gandhi also paid floral tributes to Indira Gandhi at her memorials at Shakti Sthal and at 1, Safdarjung Road.

In a post on X, Mr. Gandhi said, "Sitting on your lap. Holding both your hands. Listening to your voice say these words. Repeating them after you. Asato mā sadgamaya; tamaso mā jyotirgamaya; mrtyormā amrtam gamaya; OM Shanti, shanti, Shanti." "What a beautiful gift you gave me Dadi. What a gift. I never imagined," the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said. The 'mantra' that Gandhi shared has its origins from the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.

The essence of this 'mantra' is a prayer to lead one from untruth to truth, from darkness to light, and from death to immortality. Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also remembered her grandmother, Indira Gandhi. Sharing a childhood photograph with her, she described Indira as "free as the sky, deep as the ocean, resilient as the earth, brighter than a burning fire".

Indira Gandhi, India's first and only woman Prime Minister, was assassinated by her own bodyguards in New Delhi on October 31, 1984. She served as the Prime Minister of the country from January 1966 to March 1977, and again from January 1980 until her death.