Raghuvansh Prasad Singh had fallen seriously ill and was hooked up to a ventilator. (File photo)
New Delhi:
Bihar political veteran and former RJD leader Raghuvansh Prasad Singh died Sunday morning at AIIMS in Delhi, where he had been placed on a ventilator and was being treated for post-Covid complications. He was 74 years old.
Mr. Singh tested positive for COVID-19 in June, after which he was admitted to the Indian Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in the national capital.
A longtime associate of Bihar’s former chief minister, Lalu Prasad Yadav, he had baffled Yadav and the RJD by sending a handwritten resignation letter.
“After the death of (former chief minister and socialist icon) Karpuri Thakur, I was by his side for 32 years, but no more,” he wrote with a not so firm hand, adding that he had received love and support from the party.
But Lalu Yadav made it clear that he was not giving up on his old friend so easily, and sent a handwritten reply, writing: “… I can’t believe it … First you recover, then we will talk.” . You’re not going anywhere. Get to know him. “
This morning, shortly after Mr. Singh’s death was confirmed, a distraught Lalu Prasad Yadav tweeted: “Dear Raghuvansh Babu! What did you do? I told you the day before yesterday that you are not going anywhere. But you have gone so far. . speechless. I’m sad. I’ll miss you so much. “
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and CPI (M) Secretary General Sitaram Yechury also expressed their regret.
“I have received sad news about the death of former MP Shri Raghuvansh Prasad Singh. I pay my respects to his feet. May his soul rest in peace and support his family and supporters at this difficult time. Om Shanti,” Chouhan tweeted.
“I am shocked by the news of Raghuvansh Babu’s death. Very sad news. We have all been together in many fights for decades. (His) absence will be greatly lost in today’s time. The memories of his work and behavior will inspire.” Our condolences to his family and friends, “said Yechury.
Raghuvansh Prasad Singh represented the state’s Vaishali constituency and was the Union Minister for Rural Development in the Congress-led UPA-I government.
A politician of nearly four decades, Raghuvansh Prasad Singh was widely regarded as an expert on the country’s rural and agricultural landscape and is credited with conceptualizing and implementing the NREGA (National Rural Employment Guarantee) Act.
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