Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday visited the residence of Sharad Yadav, the socialist stalwart who died on Thursday at a Gurgaon hospital at the age of 75 after a prolonged illness. Rahul, who is currently leading the Punjab leg of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, visited Delhi’s Chhatarpur and consoled the family members of Yadav, who was staying at his daughter’s residence after vacating his Tughlaq Road bungalow last May. Rahul met Yadav’s son Shantanu Bundela and daughter Subhashini Raj Rao, who unsuccessfully contested the 2020 Bihar Assembly polls on a Congress ticket, and wife Rekha Yadav. Later, speaking to reporters, he said, “We were at a joint public meeting. I didn’t know him (Yadav). There was a lot of chaos as a meeting had just ended and he was walking in a state of confusion. I requested him to get in my car. Then I requested him to share his political experience and wisdom with me. The journey was of two hours and I decided not to speak and just listen to him.that was the beginning of a long relationship.” Rahul also pointed out that Yadav was a political opponent of his grandmother and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. “He told they may have been political rivals, but the two shared a relationship of love and respect.he never lost respect in his long career. That’s a big thing in politics.” Rahul also tweeted, “Apart from being a leading figure of socialist politics, Sharad Yadav was a person of humble nature. I have learnt a lot from him.” शरद यादव जी समाजवाद के पुरोधा होने के साथ एक विनम्र स्वभाव के व्यक्ति थे। मैंने उनसे बहुत कुछ सीखा है। उनके शोकाकुल परिजनों को अपनी गहरी संवेदनाएं व्यक्त करता हूं। देश के लिए उनका योगदान सदा याद रखा जाएगा। — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) January 12, 2023 Even on Thursday, Subhashini had posted pictures of herself with AICC general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal and former Union Minister Pawan Bansal from the Bharat Jodo Yatra. Rahul had last met Yadav days after the latter merged Loktrantik Janata Dal (LJD), a party the latter had floated in 2018, with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in March 2022. Yadav passed away on Thursday at 10.19 pm at the Fortis, Gurgaon, where he was brought in an unresponsive and unconscious state, according to a statement issued by the hospital.
