Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to the demised Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan by saying that “there is a void in our nation that will perhaps never be filled.”
Taking it to Twitter, PM Modi said, “I am saddened beyond words. There is a void in our nation that will perhaps never be filled. Shri Ram Vilas Paswan Ji’s demise is a personal loss. I have lost a friend, valued colleague and someone who was extremely passionate to ensure every poor person leads a life of dignity.”
Prominent Dalit leader and the patriarch of the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) from Bihar, Ram Vilas Paswan, passed away at a Delhi hospital on late Thursday evening. The news of his death was shared by his son Chirag Paswan via a tweet.
74-year-old Ram Vilas Paswan had undergone a heart surgery a few days back.
Paswan Sr was the Union Minister of Food and Public Distribution in the present Narendra Modi-led NDA government.
His son Chirag tweeted in Hindi, “Miss you Papa…(Papa, you are not in this world today but no matter where you are you will always be with me. Miss you Papa.)” Paswan Jr also shared an old photo of him and his father along with the tweet.
Ram Vilas Paswan began his political career as a member of the Samyukta Socialist Party and in 1969 became a member of the Bihar Legislative Assembly. He was an eight-time Member of Parliament in Lok Sabha and went to jail when an emergency was imposed in the country during the tenure of Indira Gandhi.
Paswan Sr was elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time in 1977 as a Janata Party member and re-elected five consecutive times from Hajipur constituency, Bihar. He formed LJP in 2000 and joined Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) in 2004.
Hailing from Shaharbanni Village in Khagaria District of Bihar, he served as a Union Minister under five prime ministers and his party has been a member of all national coalitions.
Ram Vilas Paswan was serving as the Union Minister of Food and Public Distribution in the current Narendra Modi-led NDA government.