New Delhi: Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's untimely death could have been averted if the SPG security cover accorded to him had not been removed, Rajya Sabha MP Karan Singh said today.

''His untimely death could have been avoided if SPG security accorded to him had not been removed,'' Dr Singh said at a function here.

While releasing a book on Rajiv Gandhi, titled 'Rajiv Gandhi: International Politics', written by Dr Sashi Kumar Singh, Dr Singh said, ''Rajiv Gandhi was a man of progressive ideas who always thought ahead of times and India's image could have been much different had he not been assassinated.''

“Rajiv Gandhi followed in the footsteps of his maternal grandfather Pandit Nehru in terms of foreign policy. He suggested adopting nuclear disarmament credo in his speech at the United Nations and today, when there is a race of atomic weapons if Rajiv's nuclear disarmament policy had been followed, then the face of the world would have been different now,'' he said.

Earlier, the President of Indian Council for Cultural Relations said the foreign policy, formulated by the country's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, was relevant even today and still followed by ''our country''.

The Non-Alignment movement adopted by Pandit Nehru was a great success and his interest in foreign policy was so much that he kept the Foreign Ministry with him but China let India down during his reign, which saddened him very much, Dr Singh added.

Talking about the policies adopted by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Dr Singh said formation of Bangladesh when Indira Gandhi was in office changed both the history and geography of the world.

''Indiraji primarily focused on border security, education, economic growth, and social justice,'' he said.

Dr Singh hailed Congress President Sonia Gandhi and party's General Secretary Rahul Gandhi's efforts of shoring up the fortunes of the grand old party.

He also hailed the efforts made by the author for making an in-depth study on Rajiv Gandhi's foreign policies that included non-alignment movement and his efforts in improving cordial relations with other countries.