Former deputy chief minister and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal today said the country had lost an honest

Former deputy chief minister and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal today said the country had lost an honest politician, ethical statesman, learned poet and gentleman politician in the passing away of former prime minister Sh Atal Behari Vajpayee. In a statement here, while expressing his sympathies with the bereaved family, the SAD president said Shri Vajpayee was a man of the masses and would be missed by the people of the country who admired him as a nation builder.

The country had lost an honest politician, ethical statesman & learned poet

Mr Badal said he had the good fortune of being part of the former Prime Minister’s cabinet as minister of state for Industry. He said he had seen Shri Vajpayee’s functioning up close and admired him along with countrymen for his steely leadership qualities during the Kargil conflict. “Vajpayee Sahab also had a unique relation with the common man due to his qualities as a poet and could relate to them in an instant. People flocked to listen to his speeches in huge numbers as he was an orator par excellence. His human values won him the title of a lok priya neta. He will be sorely missed by all”, Mr Badal added.