E-Paper
‘An entertainer par excellence’: India mourns Raju Srivastava, leaders pay tribute
Raju Srivastava - part of the entertainment industry since the 1980s - was admitted to AIIMS Delhi on August 10 after he complained of chest pain and collapsed while at a gym.
Several prominent names took to Twitter to pay tribute to comedian Raju Srivastava, who died 10.20 am Wednesday at the age of 58 after being hospitalised for 41 days.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his condolences to the family and admirers of the late comedian and tweeted: “Raju Srivastava brightened our lives with laughter, humour and positivity. He leaves us too soon but he will continue to live in the hearts of countless people thanks to his rich work over the years. His demise is saddening.”
“Renowned comedian Raju Srivastava ji had a unique style, he impressed everyone with his amazing talent,” Home Minister Amit Shah said in a tweet. Defence minister Rajnath Singh wrote, "Very sad to hear the demise of famous comedian Raju Srivastava ji. May God give place to the departed soul at his feet."
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said that apart from being an accomplished artist, Raju Srivastava was also a lively person and active in the field of social work. "I extend my condolences to his bereaved family and fans," he added.
Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath also extended his condolences to Raju Srivastava’s family.
“Our friend, Raju Srivastava, who made the whole country laugh, is no more with us! The thought that our meeting this year on May 13 would be our meeting never occurred to me,” wrote the deputy CM of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis.
He also shared a photo of himself with the comedian at the Versova festival in Mumbai.
Union minister Nitin Gadkari paid tribute as well, tweeting: "An entertainer par excellence, his mannerisms and observational comedy truly mirrored the daily life of us Indians."
Former union minister and BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad called his death an 'irreparable loss to the art world' and offered his condolences to the bereaved family and fans.
Raju Srivastava - part of the entertainment industry since the 1980s - was admitted to AIIMS Delhi on August 10 after he complained of chest pain and collapsed while at a gym.
His brother, Dipoo Srivastava, told media the comedian was unconscious but recovering slowly .
