Former union minister and veteran leader Raghuvansh Prasad Singh died Sunday morning at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi, where he had been admitted and was being treated for pos-covid complications. Earlier this week, Singh, who represented Bihar’s Vaishali constituency in the Lok Sabha, had penned a crisp letter resigning from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) to RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav.
The former union minister was considered the architect of the country’s biggest welfare scheme – Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). Expressing his shock, prime minister Narendra Modi said in a video message, “With much grief, I inform that Bihar’s veteran leader Raghuvansh Singh is no more. I pay my respects to him. He was a rare political personality firm in his roots, one who could understand the poor well.”
President of India Ramnath Kovind also tweeted a message saying, “The passing away of #RaghuvanshPrasadSingh is tragic. An outstanding leader rooted to the ground, he was a true stalwart with a phenomenal understanding of rural India. Condolences to his family & followers.”
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu also tweeted, “Saddened to learn about the sudden demise of former Union Minister, Shri Raghuvansh Prasad Singh. A good parliamentarian and a grassroot level leader, he strove for the upliftment of the poor and rural masses.”
RJD issued a condolence message saying, “God had snatched a major part of RJD. That stunning voice is not with us any more. May Raghuvansh babu be immortal.”
Expressing his grief over Singh’s death, RJD supremo tweeted, “Dear Raghuvansh Babu! What did you do? I told you the day before yesterday, you are not going anywhere. But you went so far. I am speechless. I am sad. Will miss you very much.”
Responding to the resignation letter, Prasad had said in a statement issued by the party, “…I cannot believe (that you have resigned from the RJD). My family and I want you to recover fast, and to see you standing among us. For the last four decades, we have sat together to make political, social, and even family decisions together. You should first recover, and we can then talk it out. You are not going anywhere. I am telling you.”
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Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar also expressed his grief at Singh’s death and talked to the late leader’s son.
Singh had written in his hand-written letter, “After the death of Karpuri Thakur, I had your back for 32 years but not anymore. Party workers, leaders and the people have showered me with lover and affection, I must be excused now.”