Interim Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Saturday expressed grief over the passing away of social activist and former Haryana MLA Swami Agnivesh and said that he fought for “the marginalised sections of our society” with “great courage and conviction”.
“I am grieved to learn of the passing away of Swami Agnivesh. All his life he fought with great courage and conviction for the most marginalized sections of our society fearless in defending their rights and in facing up to those who exploited and oppressed them and terrorised the poor, often at great personal risk,” Sonia Gandhi said in a statement.
She said that Swami Agnivesh was the “most powerful and effective voice for the vulnerable and the defenceless” and added, “Swami Agnivesh`s energy and faith in constructive social activism was indeed admirable and inspiring. He worked with equal dynamism to promote interfaith understanding and dialogue, non-violence, and justice for the tribal people of Chhattisgarh caught in a violent conflict.”