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Veteran Congress leader and former Union Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal, a three-time MP from Kanpur and one of the party's most prominent organisational figures in Uttar Pradesh, passed away at the age of 81 on Friday late evening, prompting an outpouring of grief from party colleagues and local leaders who hailed his lifelong commitment to grassroots politics and state development.
Speaking to ANI, Pramod Jaiswal, the younger brother of the late Jaiswal, expressed profound grief, saying, "All I can say at this time is that a hardworking man attached to the grassroots is lying silent today. I can't say anything more than that." Congress leader Alok Mishra described the loss as "irreparable," noting that Jaiswal's contributions shaped Kanpur's political landscape. "His passing is an irreparable loss for the Congress party, for Kanpur, and for the entire country. His tireless efforts for Kanpur's development are commendable. Today, the Congress party has lost a strong pillar," he told ANI. Congress spokesperson Anshu Awasthi expressed grief and paid tribute to Prakash Jaiswal, a three-time MP from Kanpur and a two-time Union Minister in the Congress government. In a post on X, Awasthi wrote, "From the city president to the state president, from the mayor to the three-time MP from Kanpur and two-time Union Minister in the Congress government, the passing of the esteemed Prakash Jaiswal ji is very heartbreaking." He further recalled the 2009 Kanpur Lok Sabha elections, when he served as the in-charge of the election for Jaiswal. "I once served as the in-charge of the election for Prakash Jaiswal ji in the 2009 Kanpur Lok Sabha election. When I went to Kanpur, one name was visible everywhere on the walls of Kanpur; the slogan was..."Your Shri Prakash Jaiswal...Prakash Jaiswal ji was a beloved and affable leader among the workers...Humble tribute," he wrote on X. Meanwhile, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge extended deepest condolences to the family of Prakash Jaiswal. He remembered him as his colleague in the UPA government and hailed him as a true and devoted Congressman. Taking to X, Kharge wrote, "The news of the passing of Shriprakash Jaiswal ji, my colleague in the UPA government, former Union Minister, and senior Congress leader, is extremely heartbreaking. He was a true and devoted Congressman who served the people with complete honesty for the development and welfare of Kanpur. His departure is also a great loss for the Congress party. In this hour of grief, I express my deepest condolences to his family members and supporters, and pray for the peace of the departed soul." Prakash Jaiswal was born on 25 September 1944. He served as a member of Parliament for the Indian National Congress and as a Minister of State and Home Affairs. He also served as the Minister of Coal from 2011 to 2014. (ANI)
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