Overview

• Posting on X, Rahul Gandhi called Shastri a true Congressman, an honest politician, and a dedicated Gandhian who championed social justice, education, and equal opportunities.
• Shastri, a freedom fighter, became Bihar’s first chief minister from the Scheduled Castes and held the office in three brief stints between 1968 and 1971.
• Reports highlight his role in constituting the Mungeri Lal Commission, which recommended reservations for backward classes, women, and economically weaker sections in Bihar.
• Media accounts note programs and tributes across Bihar today to commemorate his birth anniversary.
• His public service spanned the Bihar Assembly from 1952, the Rajya Sabha, a tenure as Union Urban Development Minister, and in 1978 the inaugural chairmanship of the SC/ST Commission.