Ladakh, August 20: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will pay tribute to his father and former Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, on his 79th birth anniversary from the banks of Pangong Lake in Ladakh on Sunday morning. Rahul Gandhi embarked on a bike ride to Pangong Tso in Ladakh on Saturday. A prayer meeting is scheduled to be held at the banks of Pangong Lake to mark the birth anniversary of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi today.

"Today Rahul Gandhi will pay tribute to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi here. Rajiv Gandhi sacrificed his life for the country. We have gathered here to remember him," Vikar Rasool Wani, President of the Jammu & Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee told ANI. Rajiv Gandhi, who served as the 7th Prime Minister of India from 1984 to 1989, was born on August 20, 1944. Rajiv Gandhi Birth Anniversary 2023: Congress Leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra Pays Floral Tribute to Former Prime Minister at 'Veer Bhumi' in Delhi (Watch Videos).

Meanwhile, Congress leaders and workers are to pay tribute to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his birth anniversary here in the national capital.

Rahul Gandhi arrived in Leh to begin his two-day visit to the Union Territory on Thursday and later decided to extend his tour till August 25. This is his first visit to Ladakh since Jammu and Kashmir was bifurcated into two Union Territories, Ladakh and J-K, following the removal of Articles 370 and 35 (A) on August 5, 2019. On Friday he interacted with youth in Leh.

Rahul Gandhi to Pay Tribute to Rajiv Gandhi

According to the party sources, Rahul Gandhi will also watch a football match in Leh. Rahul has been a footballer player during his college days. He will also participate in the meeting of the 30-member Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC)-Kargil elections on August 25, they said. Rajiv Gandhi Birth Anniversary: Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi to Pay Tribute to His Father From Banks of Pangong Tso in Ladakh (Watch Video).

Congress and National Conference have forged a pre-poll alliance against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the Kargil council polls scheduled to be held on September 10. Although the Congress MP visited Srinagar and Jammu twice earlier this year, he, however, did not travel to Ladakh. In January, the Congress leader visited Jammu and Srinagar during his Bharat Jodo Yatra. Again on a personal visit in February, he visited the Gulmarg ski resort.