Prayer meeting held in memory of veteran BJP leader Vijay Kumar Malhotra

A prayer meeting was organised on Friday in the memory of BJP leader Vijay Kumar Malhotra where a large number of party leaders and workers paid tributes to the veteran politician, who passed away on September 30 at the age of 91.

Union minister Manohar Lal Khattar, RSS Delhi Prant Pracharak Anil Agarwal, BJP national general secretary Arun Singh, Rajya Sabha MP Radha Mohan Das Agarwal and Chief Minister Rekha Gupta addressed the prayer meeting.

Khattar said it feels painful to refer to someone with the prefix 'late', as he recalled Malhotra's long political career during which he gave a new direction to the BJP, not only in Delhi but across the country. Malhotra inspired many, not just in the RSS, Jan Sangh and the BJP, but also the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and in the field of sports, Khattar said.

Chief Minister Gupta said the gathering was not one of mourning but of inspiration. Malhotra laid the foundation for the BJP in Delhi and was closely associated with developmental work in the capital, she said.

Anil Agarwal described Malhotra as a symbol of simplicity and service, recalling how as a swayamsevak, he was sent to Lahore during Partition to arrange food and shelter for the displaced Hindus. ''On behalf of Delhi and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, I pay tribute to his remarkable journey,'' he said.

Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva said the qualities of discipline, patience and firmness in one's stand must be learnt from Malhotra, who enjoyed respect even from his political opponents. He recalled working closely with Malhotra during the 1980 elections, calling it the most valuable period of his life. Arun Singh said Malhotra's simplicity, humility and ideals would always remain a source of inspiration. Malhotra, the first president of the party's Delhi unit and a five-time former MP from the city, was undergoing treatment at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) for the past few days.

He was one of the prominent faces of Delhi BJP who served as the leader of opposition in the Assembly and was also projected as the party's chief-ministerial face during the 2008 elections, in which the Congress under Sheila Dikshit maintained its winning streak.

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