Congress plans grand celebrations for Rajiv Gandhi's 75th birth anniversary across country on 20 August

New Delhi: The Congress party is set to celebrate former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi’s 75th birth anniversary on a grand scale with programmes being held across the country on 20 August, sources said on Tuesday. [caption id=“attachment_7143461” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Congress President Rahul Gandhi with senior party leader Sonia Gandhi. PTI[/caption] A meeting was called to the party war room late night on Tuesday to discuss and task the leaders with the responsibility to prepare for the celebrations. According to sources privy to the development, on 22 August, an event to mark his birth anniversary will be organised in the national capital. Congress is planning to reach out to the public on the birth anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi. Congress Organisational Secretary KC Venugopal had also directed the party functionaries to observe the day at the state, district and block levels with the involvement of the general public at large. He has also instructed the leaders that apart from the prayer meetings and floral tributes, social programmes such as blood donation camps, plantation of saplings, seminars, conferences can be held. Congress is planning to send this message to the grassroots of the society to remind the public about the former Prime Minister’s contribution to change the perception of the masses about the party. In May 1991, Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by a Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) suicide bomber during an election rally in Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu.