Sonia visits Surjeet's home, shares grief with family members

Congress Prez Sonia Gandhi was among the few leaders who reached the residence of veteran Marxist leader Harkishen Singh Surjeet soon after his death.

In an indication of her closeness to the late leader, Congress President Sonia Gandhi was on Friday among the few leaders who reached the residence of veteran Marxist leader Harkishen Singh Surjeet in New Delhi soon after his death.

HT Image

Gandhi drove down to the Teen Murti Lane residence of the nonagenarian leader and shared the grief of his wife Pritam Kaur and other family members.

Surjeet, the pragmatic Marxist leader, had played a key role in keeping BJP out of power in 1996 and helped Congress form a coalition government at the Centre eight years later.

The veteran Marxist along with Jyoti Basu had played a major role in guiding Gandhi in the aftermath of 2004 elections to bring together secular forces.

Condoling the death of Surjeet, she said the nation had lost a towering leader who has inspired a generation.

During the reply to the trust vote on July 22, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had paid glowing tributes to the "visionary leadership" of Surjeet and Basu in the formation of the government and its continuance for four years.