PM keen to follow coalition 'dharma' as advised by Surjeet

New Delhi, Aug 3 (UNI) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has expressed desire to follow the advice given to him by late CPM patriarch H S Surjeet on running the coalition government.

'' Dr Singh conveyed to me while condoling the death of Surjeet,'' CPI(M) senior leader and Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury told UNI here at A K Gopalan Bhavan, where several thousands of people gathered to pay their last respects to veteran comrade Surjeet, who passed away on Friday. .

Mr Yechury said the Prime Minister told him personally that in the death of the veteran communist and patriot, not only he had lost a personal friend but nation had also lost a great leader.

The PM said he would like to act upon Surjeet's advice on running the UPA government.

Visibly shaken Mr Yechury, who was groomed by Surjeet, said President Pratibha Patil had told him that the country had lost a very able leader and a true patriot.

Vice-President Mohammad Hamid Ansari, who visited Surjeet's Teen Murti Lane residence, expressed his profound grief saying that Surjeet was one of the stalwarts of the Indian politics.

Congress president and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, who also visited Surjeet's residence to pay him her last respects had also echoed the similar sentiments, Mr Yechury added.

Mr Yechury, recalling his long association with Surjeet said in the death of the veteran comrade not only the communist movement had lost a great warrior but the Indian polity has also suffered a great setback.

Particularly after the defeat of Emergency, he played a vital role in the political situation where the political monopoly of a single party ended.

He stood for secular democracy to uphold the Indian Constitution, and multi-cultural linguistic dynamics of Indian society and believed in maintaining unity in diversity, the CPM leader said.

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