Mysore/Mysuru: Senior Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader M. Venkatram has described his childhood friend, BJP MP and former Union, Minister V. Sreenivasa Prasad, who passed away on Monday, as a leader who came up in politics on his own with his penchant to spearhead the movements.

“We share the same birth year (1947) and grew up together and joined RSS in the year 1958. We studied in NTM School and later founded a youth association in Ashokapuram which was a Congress stronghold then,” recalled Venkatram.

Continuing, Venkatram said: “Even though many opposed our youth association there were 50 to 60 youngsters and were distributing uniform, books to the poor children and also arranged home tuition besides providing them education and teaching patriotic songs to them through RSS. NTM School in Ashokapuram where the mortal remains of Prasad has been kept, was the hub of our activities, that also had a shakha (branch) of RSS.”

When B. Basavalingappa was sacked from the Ministry we had staged a protest with Prasad leading the Boosa Movement. Basavalingappa was also invited and taken out in a procession, said Venkatram.

Prasad was a votary of harmony, the key social quality propagated by RSS.

He later plunged into politics during the by-election and came up in life on his own,                                  added Venkatram.