Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is in Kerala for Bharat Jodo Yatra, went to Nilambpur in Mallapuram on Sunday to pay his last respects to senior party leader Aryadan Muhammed (87) who passed away earlier today.
As per the Bharat Jodo Yatra's media team, Gandhi will be reaching Thrissur via helicopter at 1 pm, after paying respects to the former Kerala minister.
Addressing the mediapersons here, Gandhi said that his death is a great loss to the party as he was a pillar of the Congress party.
"He was a pillar of the Congress party...it is a tragedy for us," Gandhi said.
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Muhammed, who was an eight-time MLA and represented the Nilambur constituency, was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Kozhikode and died in the morning.
The 87-year-old veteran leader had entered politics as a member of the Congress party in 1952 and remained the part of Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee till 1958 and served as the Secretary of Congress Legislative Party during the 10th KLA.
Muhammed was elected to the Kerala Legislative Assembly in 1977, 1980, 1987, 1991, 1996, and 2001.
As per the media team of Bharat Jodo Yatra, Gandhi is likely to reach Nilambpur by 12 pm and return to Thrissur by helicopter at 1 pm.
There is no change in the schedule of the Bharat Jodo Yatra and the Yatra which started at 6.30 am from Patturaykkal Junction, Thrissur district on its 18th day will resume again at 4 pm from the Vadakkamchery bus stop.
The Yatra will finish at 7 at Vettikkattiri and will halt at Jyoti Engineering College, Cheruthuruthi, Thrissur district.
Earlier on Saturday, the Congress resumed its Bharat Jodo Yatra, after a day's break, from Perambra junction in the Thrissur district of Kerala.
Yesterday, workers and people of Thrissur came out in large numbers to support Rahul Gandhi and all the Padyatris as the Bharat Jodo Yatra resumed after a break.
The march aims to cover as many as 12 states in five months.
From Kerala, the Yatra will traverse through the state for the next few days, reaching Karnataka on September 30. It will be in Karnataka for 21 days before moving north. The Padyatra (march) will cover a distance of 25 km every day.
The Bharat Jodo Yatra took a break right before the day of the filing of the nominations for the Congress presidential poll in the national capital which will be concluded on September 30.
( With inputs from ANI )
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