Shafiqur Rahman Barq, a senior Samajwadi party leader, passed away on Tuesday after a prolonged illness.
The veteran leader was 93 years old and served as an MP from the Sambhal Lok Sabha constituency. Earlier this month, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav visited the SP MP at Siddha Hospital in Moradabad to inquire about his health.
Expressing grief over the death of the senior SP leader, Samajwadi party Chief Akhilesh Yadav in a post on X said, “The demise of senior Samajwadi Party leader and several-time MP Mr. 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”.
RLD leader Jayant Chaudhary also condoled the death of the senior SP leader “My condolences on the death of Shri Shafiqur Rahman Barq ji. He was a leader with a real connect with the grassroots!”
Barq was the oldest member of the current Lok Sabha and was also nominated as the SP’s candidate for Sambhal in 2024.
Barq has made headlines for his inflammatory views about ‘Vande Mataram’ and the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan.
In August 2021, the Samajwadi Party MP was charged for comparing ‘Taliban terrorists to India’s freedom fighters’.
Shafiqur Rahman Barq, who has expressed support for the regime change in Afghanistan, stated that the Taliban is fighting for their country’s liberation, and the Afghan people want freedom under its leadership.