Union Minister Ram Vilas Pawan passed away on October 8, 2020 | Photo credit: IANS
New Delhi: Union Minister and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) founder Ram Vilas Paswan passed away on Thursday. Paswan (74) recently underwent heart surgery at a Delhi hospital. He served as the Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution in the government led by Narendra Modi.
Paswan’s son Chirag Paswan announced his father’s passing on his Twitter account. Publishing an emotional message, the LJP president said that his father will always be with him.
Paswan was hospitalized for more than a month in a Delhi hospital. Earlier this month, Chirag Paswan tweeted that his father underwent bypass surgery and if the need arises, he could have another operation after a few weeks.
Political figures who crossed party lines approved of Paswan’s death. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defense Minister, Rajnath Singh Congress Leader Kapil Sibal, Union Minister Jitendra Singh, Jharkhand Chief MInsiyer Hemant Soren, and several expressed their sadness and offered condolences to the family of Paswan.
Expressing his condolences, Prime Minister Modi said that he had lost a valuable friend and colleague. “Paswanji’s death has left a void in the country that may never be filled,” he said.
“I am saddened beyond words. There is a void in our nation that may never be filled. The disappearance of Shri Ram Vilas Paswan Ji is a personal loss. I lost a friend, a valued colleague, and someone who was extremely passionate about insuring that every poor person leads a dignified life, “tweeted Prime Minister Modi.
Paswan’s death comes days before the 2020 Bihar Assembly elections. In particular, a few days ago, the LJP decided to sever ties with Janata Dal (United) and contest the Bihar polls alone. In announcing his party’s decision to go to the polls alone, Chirag Paswan said that the LJP had problems with the party led by Nitish Kumar. However, he made it clear that LJP has no problems with the BJP and that it will continue with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the Center.
