Congress leader Rahul Gandhi expressed shock over the death of party MP and senior leader Santokh Singh Chaudhary during the Bharat Jodo Yatra on Saturday.
The 76-year-old two-time MP was taking part in the Rahul Gandhi-led march in Phillaur in Jalandhar where he fainted, said senior party leader Partap Singh Bajwa, who was also marching in the yatra. Chaudhary was rushed to a hospital in Phagwara in an ambulance but was declared brought dead.
"Shocked by the sudden demise of Shri Santokh Singh Chowdhary. He was a down to earth hardworking leader, a good person and a strong pillar of the Congress family, who dedicated his life to public service from youth Congress to Member of Parliament. I express my condolences to the bereaved family,” Rahul Gandhi tweeted.
Chaudhary died after suffering a cardiac arrest.
The Bharat Jodo Yatra, which was in Punjab, was suspended for a day as a mark of respect to Chaudhary. Rahul Gandhi also postponed his scheduled press conference at Jalandhar on January 15, and it will now take place at Hoshiarpur on January 17.
"Bharat Jodo Yatra will be suspended for 24 hours as a mark of respect for Santokh Singh Choudhary, Congress MP from Jalandhar who passed away this morning. The Yatra will resume tomorrow afternoon from Khalsa College Ground, Jalandhar," AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh said on Twitter.
"Due to the unexpected and shocking demise of Santokh Singh Chaudhary, Congress MP from Jalandhar, the press conference of Rahul Gandhi originally scheduled in Jalandhar tomorrow will now be held on 17th January in Hoshiarpur," he said in another tweet.
The Bharat Jodo Yatra had resumed in Punjab on Saturday after a day's break for Lohri.
also read
- Mob violence in Kerala: Congress slams Pinarayi Vijayan govt over lynching of Chhattisgarh migrant worker in Palakkad
- EXPLAINED | Omar Abdullah’s balancing act: Why Congress-National Conference unease persists
- Gaurav Gogoi rules out AIUDF alliance; will a fractured Opposition hand 2026 Assam election to BJP?
- Is 'NM' for Narendra Modi? Congress raises suspicion over Navi Mumbai airport name
- Why Pradnya Satav of Hingoli joining the BJP is a major blow for Congress in Maharashtra
Several political leaders including AAP leader and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann expressed grief over the death of the Congress MP.
"I am deeply saddened at the untimely death of Congress Member of Parliament from Jalandhar, Santokh Singh Chaudhary," Mann said in a tweet in Punjabi.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said Chaudhary's passing away is a great blow to the organisation.
"Deeply shocked and saddened to learn about the untimely passing away of our MP, Shri Santokh Singh Chaudhary. His loss is a great blow to the party and organisation. In this hour of grief, my heart goes out to his family, friends and followers. May his soul rest in peace," Kharge said on Twitter.
Former chief minister and former Congress leader Amarinder Singh also condoled Chaudhary's death.
"Extremely saddened to hear about the sudden demise of MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary ji due to a heart attack today. My heartfelt condolences are with his entire family in their time of grief. May Waheguru Ji grant eternal peace to the departed soul, said Singh in his tweet.
AAP MP Raghav Chadha said he was very saddened to learn about the death of Chaudhary.
Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh tweeted, "My condolences to his son @VikramjitMLA, family and followers. May Gurusahab bless his soul."
(With PTI inputs)
