Across political divide, Nitin Gadkari shared rare bond with A B Bardhan

“Today, we don’t have many leaders whose feet we would touch for blessings. But Bardhan was one,” said Gadkari.

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After failing to attend the leader’s funeral in New Delhi, Gadkari has now asked his office to cancel all appointments and reschedule programmes in the national capital on January 7 so that he can attend a condolence meeting for Bardhan in Nagpur.

Gadkari, who maintained his camaraderie with Bardhan for more than four decades, was generous in his praise of the Communist leader. “When I was a student, he was the tallest political leader around. His oratory was excellent, he was a very honest leader and he used to speak on economic issues. He was also very sharp-minded,” Gadkari told The Indian Express.

He fondly remembered the debates at Dakshinamurty Square in Nagpur during the Ganesh Utsav, at which Bardhan was a strong figure. “One day, after Bardhan’s speech, one of the participants said, ‘Bardhan is really good, but his party is bad’… I got an opportunity to work with him as a young activist as he led the labour movement for mill workers in Nagpur. Everyone respected him as a man with an immense character,” Gadkari said.

The Union minister also visited Bardhan frequently while he was ill.

“He stuck to his ideology till his last breath. I respect that,” said Gadkari.