A surge of misty-eyed populace including top political personalities formed a never- ending queue at the BJP headquarters at Ashoka Road here to pay their last respect to Union Rural Development Minister Gopinath Munde, who died in a road accident on Tuesday morning.
The news of Munde’s tragic death came as shock to the country and united the political class in mourning his demise, one week after he joined the Union Cabinet. Among those who laid wreaths on his body were Vice President M Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, members of his Cabinet, BJP president Rajnath Singh, veteran BJP leader lK Advani, Maratha strongman and NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi.”
Wreaths were also placed on behalf of President Pranab Mukherjee and former Prime Minister and ailing BJP leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee. A “profoundly saddened” Ansari said, “Munde was amongst the most prominent political leaders of Maharashtra who had a long and illustrious public life. In his departure, we have lost a distinguished public servant whose absence will be felt by one and all.”
PM Narendra Modi said he was extremely saddened by the demise of Munde. “Extremely saddened & shocked by the demise of my friend & colleague Gopinath Mundeji. He was a true mass leader. Hailing from backward sections of society, he rose to great heights & tirelessly served people,” Modi tweeted.
BJP patriarch lK Advani who was seen consoling Munde’s daughter and BJP legislator Pankaja Munde said Munde was behind the party’s success in Maharashtra. “It was Munde who took the BJP to a new height in Maharashtra. It was he who deserves all the credit for the BJP’s success in the State,” said Advani.
Munde’s demise was an “irreparable loss” to the nation, said Rajnath Singh and hailed him as a true “grassroots leader”.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said she was shocked to know about the sudden demise of her senior colleague. Finance and Defence Minister Arun Jaitley said he was shaken by the news of Munde’s death. “I have lost a friend.”
late Minister’s Maharashtra colleague and Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar broke down while paying tributes to Munde and said his death was yet to sink in.
“I still cannot believe Mundeji is no longer among us. He was truly a mass leader of Maharashtra,” he said. NCP leader Sharad Pawar described Munde’s death as shocking and said, “We have lost a dynamic mass leader”.
Condoling the death of Munde, the Union Cabinet said that in his demise the country has lost a visionary leader who was held in high esteem across the political spectrum.
In a resolution, the Cabinet placed on record its appreciation of his services to the nation in different capacities both at the State and national levels.
“A grassroot politician with a mass base and an ardent advocate of democracy...The Cabinet places on record its appreciation of Gopinath Munde’s services to the nation in different capacities both at the state and national level,” the resolution said.
“In his untimely demise, the nation has lost an experienced and visionary leader who was held in high esteem across the political spectrum. On behalf of the entire nation, the Cabinet extends its heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family,” it said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with secretaries of various Ministries, which was scheduled Tuesday, was put off following the death of Munde. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi was accompanied by Uttarakhand CM Harish Rawat as he offered tributes to Munde at the BJP headquarters.
Rahul’s mother and Congress president Sonia Gandhi paid her tributes to the late Minister. Paying rich tributes to Munde, she said that the backward class leader tried to discharge the responsibilities given to him in his political and social life with full dedication.
In his condolence Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said it is “extremely shocking” and the nation has lost a great leadership. “With his demise, I have lost a colleague, under whose guidance several like me and I myself worked for decades. It is an irreparable loss,” Gadkari said about his fellow political colleague from Maharashtra.
While, Consumer Affairs and Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said Munde was always concerned about the problems of others, RJD chief lalu Prasad offered his noted that he believed in the “empowerment” of the poor and deprived.
Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi and Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh also expressed shock and grief over the Minister’s death. Gandhi termed Munde as an “able and dedicated” leader. law and Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad recalled his association with Munde, calling him not only a big mass leader but also a very nice human being who would be “jovial and completely informal”.
Paying tributes to Munde, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina described him as a “distinguished” political leader who was a “good friend” of her country.
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh condoled the death of the Rural Development Minister saying “I am deeply saddened to learn about the sudden passing away of Munde in the unfortunate road accident.”
“I send you and your family my deepest condolences in this hour of grief. Gursharan joins me in praying that you have the strength to bear the irreparable loss. May his soul rest in peace,” he said.
In a condolence message to the Prime Minister, Hasina said Munde’s “untimely demise is a huge loss for your government, the country, the people, and the party. “All would be deprived of the service that he was just about to deliver in his new capacity. You have lost a distinguished political leader and we have lost a good friend of Bangladesh,” she said.
RSS was represented by its chief Mohan Bhagwat, his deputy Bhaiyyaji Joshi, spokesperson Ram Madhav. VHP leader Ashok Singhal also went to pay tributes to Munde’s mortal remains which was given the ceremonial guard of honour by the Army.
Among others who paid their respects were all bigwigs from the BJP including the Prime Minister, lK Advani, Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, Murli Manohar Joshi, Sumitra Mahajan, Vijay Goel, Ramesh Pokhriyal as also Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore.
Condolences also poured in from India Inc. “Shri Munde was not only a visionary but a karmayogi who will continue to inspire us in Indian industry,” Ficci president Sidharth Birla said.