Sonia Gandhi recalls Rahul’s warning before Rajiv Gandhi’s 1991 assassination

Sonia Gandhi remembers her son Rahul’s warning that she would have to return for his funeral after Rajiv Gandhi was killed in an explosion on 21 May 1991. Rahul had told his mother two months earlier that if security was not tightened, he would soon have to attend his father’s funeral. The assassination occurred in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, when a woman detonated explosives while offering a garland to Rajiv. The Special Protection Group’s cover was withdrawn by the V. P. Singh government a month after a committee had recommended its continuation. The event marked a turning point in India’s security protocols for former prime ministers. The family’s recollection highlights the personal impact of the tragedy on the Indian political landscape.