New Delhi, June 23: Late Congress veteran Sanjay Gandhi had died on this day, June 23, in the year 1980. Considered as heir apparent to then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Sanjay was killed in a plane crash. On his 40th death anniversary, his son and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmaker Varun Gandhi paid tribute to his father. Nehru-Gandhi Family Tree: Here's a Look at Jawaharlal Nehru's Ancestors and Descendants.

In a post on Twitter, Varun shared images from the political and public life of Sanjay Gandhi. He recalled his intent to take tough decisions, think ahead of time and work towards building a self-reliant India or an Atmanirbhar Bharat - which is now being championed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"Today, I pay tribute to my father Late Shri Sanjay Gandhi on his 40th death anniversary. A man of steel, generations ahead of his time, who worked towards a strong and self-reliant India, with both the vision to see what lay ahead and also the courage to act on it," he said.

See Varun Gandhi's Tweet

Sanjay Gandhi, born in 1946, remained a polarising figure in Indian politics during his short tenure. While several saw him as a hardline reformer, others feared him as an authoritarian due to his sterilisation campaign in emergency years and his alleged role in the forcible eviction of scores of tenements from the Jama Masjid area in Old Delhi - again during the period of emergency.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 23, 2020 12:13 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).