Congress leaders honour Rajiv Gandhi at Charminar Sadbhavana gathering
Congress leaders gathered at Hyderabad’s Charminar on 19 October for the annual commemoration, recalling Rajiv Gandhi’s message of communal harmony and making political appeals of their own.
Congress leaders paid tribute to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi at Hyderabad’s Charminar on 19 October 2026, marking an annual gathering devoted to his message of communal harmony and national integration, The Hindu reported. Telangana Congress leaders also used the occasion to make political appeals and recall aspects of his record.
The Hindu reported that Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy and Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president Mahesh Kumar Goud chaired the Rajiv Gandhi Sadbhavana Yatra commemoration. The meeting has been held each year since 1990 in memory of Gandhi’s appeal for communal peace from Charminar.
What Telangana Congress leaders said at Charminar
Goud alleged that attempts were being made to erase the contributions of national figures including Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru from public memory and rewrite history. He said younger people should understand Congress’s role in India’s independence struggle. Those were Goud’s political assertions at the gathering, as reported by The Hindu.
Goud also credited Rajiv Gandhi with lowering the voting age to 18 and helping lay the foundation for wider use of modern technology in India. He invoked the sacrifices of Congress leaders and challenged the BJP’s claims to patriotism, presenting the commemoration as a statement about the party’s values as well as a tribute.
Uttam Kumar Reddy described what he called a ‘silent revolution’ under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership. He said growing support for Gandhi and Congress reflected a desire for an alternative to the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The assessment was the minister’s, rather than a measured account of public opinion.
Congress leader Sachin Sawant said Rajiv Gandhi’s vision of a modern, self-reliant India rested on unity and mutual respect. Sawant highlighted Gandhi’s efforts concerning peace in Punjab, Assam and Mizoram, stronger Panchayati Raj institutions, women’s participation in local government and the change to the voting age.
An annual Charminar commemoration
The gathering continues a local tradition. A Telangana State Portal account records that the 2025 Sadbhavana Yatra commemoration was also held at Charminar and that former Union minister Salman Khurshid received the Sadbhavana Award that year. At the 2026 function, urologist C. Mallikarjuna was honoured for his service to society, The Hindu reported.
Among those attending the 2026 meeting were All India Congress Committee secretary Sachin Sawant, party leader Gidugu Rudra Raju, Telangana Congress vice-presidents and district party presidents. Uttam Kumar Reddy thanked former state Congress president V. Hanumantha Rao and the Rajiv Sadbhavana Award Committee for maintaining the tradition for more than three decades.
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Sources and context
- Tributes paid to Rajiv Gandhi recalling his communal peace rally at CharminarThe Hindu
- Hon’ble CM Sri A. Revanth Reddy participated in Rajiv Gandhi Sadbhavana Yatra Commemoration Day at Charminar, Hyderabad.Telangana State Portal
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.