On Rajiv Gandhi’s 30th death anniversary, rare pictures of India’s youngest PM

On Rajiv Gandhi's death anniversary, ThePrint brings you some pictures of the former PM from his days as a politician.

A smiling former PM Rajiv Gandhi displays his collection of rakhis | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint

New Delhi: India’s former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on 21 May 1991.

Rajiv was born as Rajeevratna Birjees Gandhi on 20 August 1944 to Indira Gandhi and Feroze Gandhi. His grandfather, Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of independent India, was in prison when he was born.

In 1984, after the assassination of his mother, Rajiv took over the reins of the Congress.

In 1987, Rajiv had sent the Indian Peacekeeping Force to Sri Lanka to help end the civil war and this angered the Tamil population there.

He was assassinated by a female LTTE suicide bomber at a public meeting in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu on 21 May 1991.

On his 30th death anniversary, ThePrint’s national photo editor Praveen Jain brings you some pictures of Rajiv Gandhi from his days as a politician.

In this image from 1991, Rajiv Gandhi is seen taking a nap on a plane to Chennai | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Rajiv Gandhi sitting amongst women who tied rakhis on him | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Rajiv Gandhi with Chandra Shekhar, Samajwadi Janata Party leader, at an event in Bhondsi, Haryana | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Rajiv Gandhi speaks to former PM Indira Gandhi’s confidante, R.K. Dhawan | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Rajiv Gandhi and sister-in-law Maneka Gandhi at a function in Bhondsi, Haryana | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Rajiv Gandhi (left) listens to cabinet minister Arjun Singh (right) at the PM’s residence | | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Deputy Prime Minister Chaudhary Devi Lal (folded hands) and former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi ( extreme right) attend Congress socialist leader Acharya Narendra Dev’s birth anniversary at Bhodsi village, Gurugram in 1990 | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Rahul Gandhi (right) and Sonia Gandhi (middle) await Rajiv Gandhi’s remains after his assassination | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint

At India Gate in Delhi, crowd surround hearse carrying Rajiv Gandhi’s mortal remains | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Sonia Gandhi sits by herself in mourning beside her husband’s last remains at Teen Murti House | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Maneka Gandhi walks out of Teen Murti House holding son Varun’s hand | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Priyanka Gandhi takes a short cut to her father Rajiv Gandhi’s memorial | Photo: Praveen Jain

Actor Amitabh Bachchan(left), wife Jaya Bachchan (middle) and son Abhishek Bachchan cross a barricade in Delhi to reach Rajiv Gandhi’s memorial on the former PM’s death anniversary | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Priyanka Gandhi gazes at Rajiv Gandhi’s photograph on a book cover. It was at an event on the former PM’s first death anniversary | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint