New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday said the untimely demise of comedian Raju Srivastava is extremely sad and offered her condolences to his family and fans."The untimely demise of eminent comedian Raju Srivastava ji is extremely sad. He had an uncanny talent to enthrall the audience with his comical performances. Due to his influence, the staging of comedy in India got a new identity. My condolences to his family and fans," the President said in a tweet.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to popular comedian Raju Srivastava, saying he "brightened our lives with laughter, humour and positivity". The prime minister tweeted, "Raju Srivastava brightened our lives with laughter, humour and positivity. He leaves us too soon but he will continue to live in the hearts of countless people thanks to his rich work over the years. His demise is saddening. Condolences to his family and admirers. Om Shanti."
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said he was deeply saddened by the death of popular comedian-actor Raju Srivastava, and expressed condolences to his bereaved family and fans. In a tweet, Singh described him as an adept performer and a person who had a lively and cheerful personality.
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The minister tweeted, "I am deeply saddened by the death of popular comedian-actor Raju Shrivastava. Besides being an adept performer, he also had a very lively and cheerful personality. He was also very active in the field of social activities. I express my condolences to his bereaved family and his admirers." The Uttar Pradesh Assembly also observed a 2-minute silence to pay respect to the comedian.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah tweeted expressing his grief on the passing away of Raju Srivastava. "Renowned comedian Raju Srivastava ji had a unique style, he impressed everyone with his amazing talent. His death is a great loss to the art world. I express my condolences to his family and fans. May God give them the strength to bear this grief," reads his tweet.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted, "The death of famous comedian Raju Srivastava is very sad. May God give place to the departed soul at his feet. My sympathies are with his kin and admirers in this hour of grief."
In a tweet, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said, "#Raju Srivastav ji made us laugh a lot in his life but today it is very sad to hear this news worked a lot with him and also learnt a lot. Raju ji may not be with us physically but his performance will always remain alive in our hearts. We'll miss you Gajodhar Bhaiya'."
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar also paid his tributes to the popular comedian. The one who made everyone laugh, today left everyone's eyes moist, said Khattar in a tweet. Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda too condoled with Srivastava's fans and families, calling the comedian's death sad.
Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said Srivastava was an inspiration for many. "His passing marks the end of the era of a genre of comedy, it is not possible to fill the void created by his death. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family and their fans. May God give place to the departed soul at his feet," Thakur tweeted.
BJP president J P Nadda said Srivastava left an indelible mark on the world of comedy. "I am speechless to hear the news of the demise of well known comedian Shri Raju Shrivastava ji. My condolences to his family and fans in this hour of mourning. May God bless the virtuous soul at his feet," Nadda wrote.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said Srivastava took the genre of comedy to new heights with his talent and hard work. "The death of Shri Raju Shrivastava ji, who entertained everyone throughout his life with his innovative art skills, is extremely sad. Expressing my condolences to the bereaved family, I pray to God for the peace of the departed soul," he said in a tweet. He made a commendable contribution to the uplift of the traditional art forms of the state through the Uttar Pradesh Film Development Council, Adityanath added.
Also read: RIP Raju Srivastava: A comedian who climbed ladder of success from television to big screen
The 58-year-old Srivastava died on Wednesday after over 40 days of hospitalisation here. Srivastava had suffered a heart attack on August 10 while working out at a hotel here. He was rushed to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and underwent angioplasty. Since then, he was on a ventilator and never gained consciousness. (with Agency inputs)
