Saifuddin Soz condoles death of Harikishan Singh Surjeet

New Delhi, Aug 1 : Union Minister for Water Resources Prof. Saifuddin Soz today expressed deep sorrow at the demise of veteran CPI (M) leader Harkishan Singh Surjeet.

In his statement, Prof. Soz said that Harkishan Singh Surjeet was a doyen of Indian politics for several decades and has left a deep mark of his multi-hued personality on our social and political life.

Paying warm tributes to Surjeet and to his contribution in fighting forces of disruption and communalism, Prof. Soz said that he was uncomprising in his adherence to the values of secularism, brotherhood and communal amity.

"The country has lost a sage and wise leader, a towering personality and a source of strength for the down-trodden," he added.

Surjeet was admitted at the Metro Hospital in Noida where he was treated for respiratory problems. Earlier, he had slipped into coma.

The veteran CPI (M) leader was suffering from cardiac-respiratory problems. He was 92.

With his health declining, Surjeet was, for the first time, not included in the CPI (M) Polit Bureau at the party's 19th congress in early April 2008. He was instead designated as Special Invitee to the Central Committee.

He was the General Secretary of the CPI (M) from 1992 to 2005 and was a member of the party's Polit Bureau from 1964 to 2008.

After retiring from his post as General Secretary, Surjeet continued to play an active role in politics.

ANI