Congress leader Rahul Gandhi Sunday paid tributes the soldiers who defeated the Portuguese in 1961 to liberate Goa.

“My wishes to the people of Goa on their Liberation Day. We salute the soldiers and martyrs who defeated the Portuguese during Operation Vijay (1961) to set Goa free,” he said on Twitter.

The Goa Liberation Day is celebrated on December 19 every year to mark the success of ‘Operation Vijay’ undertaken by the armed forces to liberate Goa.