He said till social injustice and inequality remain in India, the country cannot prosper.
Basudeb Acharia (CPI-M) described him as “leader of the exploited masses” and recalled his visit to Kolkata.
Saugata Roy (Trinamool), TKS Elangovan (DMK), B Mahtab (BJD), Sanjeev Naik (NCP), M Thambidurai (AIADMK), Gurudas Dasgupta (CPI) and Raghuvansh Prasad Singh (RJD) also condoled Mandela's demise.
In the Rajya Sabha, Ansari said, “As an anti-apartheid revolutionary, he was convicted to life imprisonment in 1964 and was released in 1990. Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi in his long walk and struggle against apartheid, he along with other leaders organised mass boycotts especially against the laws supporting racial discrimination and oppression...
“Mandela was a living symbol of his people's quest for freedom and dignity against tyranny and njustice. While his courage, determination and sacrifice inspired millions of people during the anti-apartheid movement, his message of peace, forgiveness and reconciliation thereafter, united them and led the rainbow nation on the path to peace and progress,” he said.
