New Delhi: Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was remembered today (May 21, 2004) on his 13th death anniversary with Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, Prime Minister designate Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul paying tributes at his memorial here.

A wreath was placed on behalf of President A P J Abdul Kalam at Veerbhumi, where Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and her cabinet colleagues, J&K Deputy Chief Minister Mangat Ram Sharma, Lok Jan Shakti party leader Ram Vilas Paswan, RPI leader Ramdas Athavale and many newly elected MPs, including film star Govinda, were among others paying tributes to the departed leader.

Singh, attending his first formal function after being appointed as Prime Minister, was accompanied by his wife Gursharan Kaur, in paying tributes to the departed leader.

An all religion prayer was held and a speech of Rajiv Gandhi on secularism and threat of communalism was also played on the occasion.

The speech pointed out that India might be secular country but that does not mean everyone follows secularism. While cautioning that there were people who sowed seeds of suspicion it noted that overwhelming number of people refused to be mislead as they have profound faith in the philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru.

The challenges that the country faces were not ordinary as there were forces, which wanted to see India mirrored in troubles. To defeat such forces every individual needed to place national interest above group, caste and religion, it said.