Mundka villagers miss their leader

Residents of Mundka village in northwest Delhi, where Verma was born, are shocked at his sudden death, reports Sidhartha Roy.

A pall of gloom descended on 5, Tughlaq Road, the official residence of former Delhi Chief Minister Sahib Singh, on Saturday.

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Senior BJP leaders and many followers of Verma arrived at his residence to console his family members. Verma is survived by his wife, two sons and three daughters. “His father and wife are present here, but his two sons are abroad right now,” BJP leader Vijay Jolly said. Verma’s body was brought to the residence at around 8 pm.

Residents of Mundka village in northwest Delhi, where Verma was born, are shocked at his sudden death. Verma is so well known here that anyone would direct you to his ancestral home. House number 117 is now a charitable eye clinic. “He has done a lot for the village. All development that you see here, including schools, playgrounds and a community centre, were all built with his help,” said Sushila Rohilla, a resident.

“There could not be a greater benefactor for villagers like him, he used to come here regularly to meet his relatives and the villagers,” said Hoshiyar Singh, a distant relative of Verma. The strongly built septuagenarian breaks into tears when asked about his memories of Verma as a person. “He was generous and humble. He once even made tea for me. He used to pat my back and ask me to tell him if I had any problem,” said Sudarshan, who works for Verma’s brother.