“He was the real angel for the poor and working class. “We all offer ‘Lal Salaam’ to Surjeet,” RJD chief Lalu Prasad said in his inimitable style. While the leaders were expected, hundreds of people from all walks of life filed past his body as his party comrades chanted ‘Lal Salaam’ and ‘long live Surjeet’. Majority of those came from his home state Punjab in trucks and buses. “He was one of the rare politicians who was not tainted by corruption even though he was in close proximity with power. He was a friend of the poor and a comrade of the peasants,” recalled Arvinder Singh, who came from Surjeet’s village Badala.

A large number of people even reached his 8 Teen Murti Lane residence where his body was kept in the morning.

Vice-President Hamid Ansari, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil and Railway Minister Lalu Prasad were among the first to reach his residence.

Surjeet’s sons Paramjeet Singh and Gurchetan Singh lit the funeral pyre in accordance with Sikh traditions.

Before the funeral pyre was lit, Delhi Police personnel fired thrice in the air and played the band as a mark of respect to the leader. The Left’s red volunteers gave a guard of honour to Surjeet on the drizzly day.

Snapshots

• SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav visited the CPI(M) headquarters for the first time after his party parted ways with the Left over the n-deal standoff

• While Mulayam spoke to other CPI(M) leaders, he did not exchange words with party general secretary Prakash Karat. The two had engaged in a war of words after the split recently

... contd.