Bandra-Worli sea link named Rajiv Gandhi Setu

The Bandra-Worli Sea Link, which was inaugurated by United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi in Mumbai on Tuesday, will be named as Rajiv Gandhi Setu.

The proposal for the same was mooted by Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar after the formal inauguration and immediately accepted by Chief Minister Ashok Chavan.

Recalling the late prime minister's contribution in India's progress as an information technology giant, Pawar said it was Rajiv who infused scientific temper in the new generation.

"He (Rajiv) sowed the seeds of a telecom and IT revolution and in the last two decades, India and Indians have earned a place of pride in the global IT sector," he said.

In a veiled attack on the Shiv Sena and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena 'sons of the soil campaign', the Nationalist Congress Party chief said: "Rajiv Gandhi was a bhoomiputra (son of the soil) belonging to Mumbai."

Referring to the fact that Mumbai was Rajiv's birth place he said, "There is no bhoomiputra from Mumbai except Rajiv Gandhi who gave a new direction and vision to the future generations of the country."

Meanwhile, Chavan thanked Pawar for the appropriate decision, while Sonia Gandhi expressed her gratitude to Pawar and the chief minister for naming the state-of-the-art sea link after her husband.