Cutting across party lines, top political leaders gathered at the Delhi residence of former Union Minister Sharad Yadav on Friday to pay their last respect to the socialist stalwart who passed away a day earlier.
Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP president J P Nadda, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and former chief minister of Bihar Rabri Devi were among the leaders who paid tributes to Sharad Yadav at his residence.
Shah described the demise of Sharad Yadav as an "irreparable loss" for the country. "In the last five decades, Sharad Ji raised people-centric issues and promoted socialist ideas till his last breath," he said. Rahul reached Yadav's residence early morning around 8.30 from Punjab where the Bharat Jodo Yatra is camped presently. Talking to media, Rahul recalled a conversation with Yadav, adding that he learnt a lot from him. The former congress president said that his grandmother Indira Gandhi and Yadav were political rivals but always maintained a relationship of mutual respect. Rabri Devi also arrived at Yadav's residence to pay her last respects. Sharad had merged his Loktrantrik Janata Dal, a party he floated in 2018, with the RJD in March 2022. Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, MP Ramesh Bidhuri, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's wife Savitri Singh, Haryana Chief Minister ML Khatter, Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav and RJD's Manoj Jha were also among the leaders who paid tributes to Yadav.
Sharad’s daughter Subhashini said that carrying forward his vision will be the real tribute to her father. She also stressed that his ideas should be carried forward, especially on bringing like-minded parties together.
As several leaders called Sharad Yadav's death an 'irreparable loss', Subhashini said carrying forward his ideas would be real tribute to him.
"It’s a very sad day for us. He was not just our father, he was the person who gave voice to thousands who were voiceless. He raised the issues related to the backward, and downtrodden sections... He ensured implementation of the Mandal report and that is why he was called Mandal Masiha," Subhashini said. Yadav is survived by his wife Rekha, daughter Subhashini and son Shantanu.
Subhashini had joined the Congress in 2020 and fought the Bihar assembly polls on a Congress ticket which she lost. Sharad’s mortal remains will be taken to his native village Ankhmau in Babai tehsil of Hoshangabad district in Madhya Pradesh by a chartered flight on Saturday morning. The cremation will be performed at 1 pm on Saturday.