Rahul Gandhi performs 'beli tharpanam' for father in Kerala

Rahul Gandhi, Pic/Twitter IANS

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday performed "beli tharpanam" in memory of his father former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi at a Thiruneli temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Gandhi had on his previous visit to Kerala expressed wish to perform the puja and visit the temple, the Special Protection Group (SPG), however, did not allow due to security reasons, former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said.

Dressed in white dhoti and wearing an angavastra, Gandhi earlier in the day walked to the temple from the Devasom Guest house.

He took note of every detail told to him by the temple priests and then prayed to the deity. He along with the priests later walked some 700 metres to the spot where his father's ashes was immersed on May 30, 1991.

The former Prime Minister was killed in a bomb blast by the Tamilian group LTTE in Sriperumbudur during a late evening rally in the Tamil Nadu town.

A few days ago, Rahul Gandhi was seen paying tributes to the martyrs of the Jallianwalla Bagh massacre on it's 100thanniversary. Rahul took to Twitter to share his tribute as he wrote: Today is the centenary of the brutal Jallianwalla Bagh massacre, a day of infamy that stunned the entire world and changed the course of the Indian freedom struggle. The cost of our freedom must never be forgotten.

Rahul Gandhi will be contesting from both Amethi in Uttar Pradesh, his traditional Lok Sabha constituency, as well as Wayanad. Kerala goes to the polls on April 23 to elect 20 MPs.

With inputs from IANS

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