New Delhi: Rajiv Gandhi has registered a decisive victory in the eighth general election to the Indian Parliament. He has improved upon the impressive record of both his mother (Indira Gandhi) and Grandfather (Jawaharlal Nehru). He was appointed prime minister of India on October 31, 1984 after the assassination of his mother, Indira Gandhi. Assassination was followed by engineered violence.
Against the Sikhs and a communal wave was let loose in the country. Sensing the time to be most opportune to cash in on the wave, he announced the election a month ahead of the schedule the elections were due in January 1985.Throughout his election campaign, Rajiv addressed him only to the Hindu sentiment, and showed scant consideration for the minorities. Indira Gandhi during the last three years had prepared a perfect soil for the communal upsurge. Rajiv has reaped a rich harvest.
Article extracted from this publication >> January 4, 1985
