Congress leaders condole BJP leader Sushil Modi’s demise

New Delhi [India], May 14 (ANI): Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party’s General Secretary Jairam Ramesh have condoled the demise of veteran BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi.

In a social media post on X, Kharge wrote, “Deepest condolences to the family and supporters of former Deputy Chief Minister and senior leader of Bihar, Sushil Modi ji, on his demise. Our ideologies were different, but in a democracy, the national interest is paramount. He had made a significant contribution to the GST Council. May God give peace to the departed soul.”

Meanwhile, Jairam Ramesh wrote on X, “Early this morning, I read about the sad demise of Sushil Modi, the former Deputy CM of Bihar, a former Rajya Sabha MP, and a distinguished product of the JP Movement in Bihar during the mid-70s He and I belonged to diametrically opposed political ideologies, but that had not come in the way of our sharing a warm personal friendship for years, often bantering with each other.”

Hailing Sushil Modi for his political contribution, he said, “As Finance Minister of Bihar, he chaired the Council of State FMs for some time when the Congress was in power at the Centre. He worked constructively with both Pranab Mukherjee and P. Chidambaram. He was hugely knowledgeable, especially on state finances. He spent a few days with me in Andhra Pradesh, when Rajasekhar Reddy was CM, to understand how the women’s self-help group movement was playing a transformational role in that state.”

The Congress leader added that Sushil Modi contributed to the creation of the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (Aajeevika), which was launched in mid-2011 to make bank-linked women’s self-help groups a national project. His speeches in the Rajya Sabha were heard with rapt attention. They were deeply researched and well-argued. His criticisms of his political opponents on the floor of the House were sharp but dignified.

The 72-year-old senior BJP leader who passed away at AIIMS Hospital in New Delhi last evening was battling cancer for the last seven months.

Sushil Modi announced his treatment last month and did not participate in the Lok Sabha election campaign.

On April 3, this year, Sushil Modi revealed he was suffering from cancer and requested the BJP relieve him of assignments related to the Lok Sabha elections.