Lost my father to 'hate and division', do not want to lose country: Rahul

New Delhi, Sep 7: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday paid floral tributes to his father and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi at the latter's memorial in Sriperumbudur near here ahead of the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra', and said he lost his father to "hate and division" and does not want to lose his country.

The Wayanad MP, who had arrived here on Tuesday night, began the day by offering tributes to the former prime minister and sat in a silent prayer in his memory. Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in a suicide bombing in Sriperumbudur on May 21, 1991. "I lost my father to the politics of hate and division. I will not lose my beloved country to it too. Love will conquer hate.

Hope will defeat fear. Together, we will overcome," Rahul said on Twitter while sharing a picture of him offering floral tributes at his father's memorial. He also shared a live video of his visit to the Rajiv Gandhi Memorial in Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu. Earlier, Rahul planted a sapling at the memorial.

Tamil Nadu Congress chief K S Alagiri and other senior party leaders accompanied Rahul. He would leave for the southern coastal Kanyakumari district and after visiting the twin memorials for the savants: Thiruvalluvar and Swami Vivekananda besides those for Kamaraj and Gandhi Mandapam, he would launch the 3,500-km-long 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' covering 12 states.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin would present Rahul with the national flag made from 'khadi' to be handed over to Seva Dal workers managing the foot march.