New Delhi, November 7, 2025 (By Ishan Rai): Former Union Agriculture Minister Sompal Shastri said that veteran journalist Late Virendra Sengar was a fearless, honest, and deeply sensitive journalist who never compromised with truth. “To embrace the truth he stood for is the truest tribute we can offer him,” he stated.
He was speaking at the book launch ceremony of two of Sengar’s works — “Sach ke Siwaay” and “Aage Aur Aag Hai” — organized at the Constitution Club of India, New Delhi.
The event was chaired by Sompal Shastri, with former DGP and retired IPS officer Vibhuti Narain Rai as the chief guest. Veteran journalist Kumar Wahid Naqvi and noted author Prof. Purushottam Agrawal were also present.
A special souvenir titled “Smritiyan Virendra Sengar Ki” was also released on this occasion, containing memories and writings of journalists and friends who had worked closely with Sengar.
Speaking on the occasion, Vibhuti Narain Rai said, “Writing the truth has never been easy, yet Virendra Sengar never hesitated.”
Naqvi added, “To hide the truth is to deceive. Sengar was a true journalist unbiased, fearless, and devoted to integrity.”
Prof. Agrawal remarked, “We live in times where ignorance is celebrated, but Sengar had the courage to write the truth, making him an eternal figure in Indian journalism.”
Born in 1955 in Khandeipur village, Kanpur (U.P.), Virendra Sengar passed away on March 26, 2025, in Naukuchiatal, Nainital (Uttarakhand). He began his career in Kanpur before moving to Delhi, where he worked for over four decades in leading national newspapers like Chauthi Duniya, Amar Ujala, and Sunday Mail.
He was one of the few journalists to expose the Hashimpura massacre, bringing global attention to one of India’s darkest chapters. His fearless reporting during farmers’ movements led by Mahendra Singh Tikait and the Gujarat riots remains a benchmark in Indian journalism.
His wife Rita Bhadauria, daughter Ritambhara, and prominent journalists including Santosh Bhartiya, Vinod Agnihotri, K.M. Singh, Dharmpal Dhankhar, Amarendra Rai, Sanjay Rai, and Shivaji Sarkar attended the event.
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