Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said on Monday there was no retirement age in politics and those who had ideological conviction and a will to serve people and the country should do so till their last breath.
The 82-year-old leader was speaking here on Monday at the launch of Congress veteran Sushil Kumar Shinde's memoir "Five Decades in Politics", written with journalist-author Rasheed Kidwai.
Kharge said, Shinde need not look upon himself as an 83-year-old retired man as his services are still required in view of the strengthening of the Congress party and the carrying of its ideology further among the masses.
"You are 82-83 only. Look at Morarji Desai. I believe no one should retire in politics. Those who have faith in their ideology, want to serve the nation, want to serve their community, then you have to work till your last breath and awaken the people of your country," Kharge said.
Morarji Desai became India's oldest prime minister at the age of 81 in 1977.
Kharge said all this should not be done in the hope of securing a ministry or other plush positions but as a sort of "return gift" for the people of this country and to the political party that has nurtured him or her.
"Whatever one has learnt in his life or whatever one has achieved, ultimately you have to return it to the people," he said, while hoping Shinde would continue to work for the party at which he achieved so much in his five-decades-long illustrious career.
He was the Governor of Andhra Pradesh from 2004 to 2006 and the Union home minister from 2012 to 2014. Besides being the chief minister of Maharashtra from 2003 to 2004, he was UPA's vice-presidential candidate in 2002 and in the party, he served as All India Congress Committee general secretary.
Kharge also praised Shinde for his positive demeanour, saying he went about his business with an ever-present smile on his face and did his work quietly without tom-tomming about it.
He argued that this quality of Shinde is rather rare in today's time when some people, referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, are all talk and no action.
"He has tremendous patience. I, Frankly speaking, am quick to anger and can't hold myself back upon seeing injustice meted out anywhere. But not him, Shinde ji is ever smiling.
"To have that kind of attitude for 50 years is tough and he managed to do that. Not for nothing, he became chief minister, home minister, governor and achieved so much in his life," he added.
On the occasion, Shinde thanked the Congress party and, particularly late former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and former Congress president Sonia Gandhi for mentoring and guiding him all the way.
"I don't have words to thank Sonia Gandhi for what all she did for me. Because taking a decision of appointing Scheduled Caste as chief minister in Maharashtra was not easy, and only someone like Sonia ji can do that. There is just so much that the party did for me," he said, adding he hoped the book will act as an inspiration for others.
Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Digvijaya Singh also attended the launch.
Priced at Rs 599, it has been published by HarperCollins India.
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