Manmohan calls on Mahajans

Shubhangi Khapre

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh along with his wife Gursharan Kaur visited the bereaved family of BJP leader Pramod  Mahajan on Saturday. The Prime Minister described Mahajan’s death as “a great loss to Indian politics”.

Singh’s eyes were filled with tears as he laid white flowers before the portrait of Mahajan. “As a member of the Rajya Sabha, I have seen Mahajan’s contribution to Parliament. His academic zeal and balanced views on various subjects enriched the debate in the House,” a visibly moved Singh said.

As the Mahajan-Munde family huddled in the Munde living room during the Prime Minister’s visit, a nostalgic Munde said, “I am not sure whether I would have been in the BJP or even politics without Mahajan. I am what I am because of him. After completing BCom, I wanted to study chartered accountancy and get into business. It was Mahajan who coaxed me to take admission in Pune College and study LLB.”

“During the Emergency, both of us went into prison and stepped out the same day,” Munde told the Prime Minister. “Now, we have to accomplish his unrealised dreams.”

Rahul was trying to remain calm keeping in mind his father’s habit of not making his grief public, a close aide said.

The Prime Minister spent 15 minutes with the Mahajan family, after driving down from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences convocation at Deonar. After the meeting, he drove straight to the airport.