Senior Samajwadi Party leader, and MP from Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal, Shafiqur Rahman Barq, died today. He was 94 and was India's oldest MP in Parliament. He was weak and unwell for quite some time. He had also served as a cabinet minister in the Uttar Pradesh government and was elected as a legislator from the Sambhal seat four times. In 2022, he had his grandson, Ziaur Rahman Barq, elected as a legislator from the Muradabad seat. The Samajwadi Party, in a post on X, wrote, “The demise of senior Samajwadi Party leader and several-time MP Shafiqur Rahman Barq Saheb is extremely sad. May his soul rest in peace. May the bereaved family members get the strength to bear this immense sorrow. Heartfelt tribute!"
SP President Akhilesh Yadav also expressed grief over his death and offered his condolences to the bereaved family. Born on July 11, 1930, Shafiqur Rehman Barq began his political career with former prime minister Chaudhary Charan Singh. He also served as the coordinator of the Babri Masjid Action Committee and was known for amplifying the voice of the Muslim community across the country.Barq, who has been a four-time MLA, was elected MP from Sambhal for the fifth time in 2019. Barq won the Muradabad Lok Sabha seat three times (1996, 1998, and 2004) and the Sambhal Lok Sabha seat twice (2009 and 2019) from SP.