NEW DELHI: Jaswant Singh, a former Union minister and one of the founding members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) passed away on Sunday after a prolonged illness. The 82-year-old leader had a political career that spanned more than three decades in which he held various positions, including that of Minister of Defense and Foreign Affairs of the Union, among others.
Singh was a five-time Member of Parliament (MP) in Rajya Sabha starting in 1980, the year the BJP was formed, and had also been a member of Lok Sabha at least four times. He was known to be close to both former minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and senior leader LK Advani. He was one of the key political leaders of the BJP during the term of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) under Vajpayee between 1998-2004.
Jaswant Singh Ji will be remembered for his unique perspective on politics and society. It also contributed to the strengthening of the BJP. I will always remember our interactions. Condolences to his family and followers. Om Shanti, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted.
Singh was born in the village of Jasol in the Barmer district of Rajasthan in 1938. Educated at Mayo College in Ajmer, he later joined the Indian Army after leaving the National Defense Academy (NDA). Manvendra Singh, son of Jaswant Singh, is a former Member of Parliament for Barmer.
Jaswant Singh was part of Bhartiya Jana Sangh (BJS). He joined parliamentary politics in 1980 when he was elected to the Rajya Sabha for the first time. During his years in Parliament, he had represented Darjeeling, West Bengal, at Lok Sabha.
“Deeply grieved by the passing of veteran BJP leader and former minister, Shri Jaswant Singh ji. He served the nation in various capacities, including the post of Raksha Mantri. He distinguished himself as an effective minister and parliamentarian, “Defense Minister Rajnath Singh tweeted.
In addition to foreign affairs and defense, some of the key portfolios that Singh held as cabinet minister during Vajpayee’s tenure included those of electronics minister and surface transport minister, among others. He was last chosen for the Lok Sabha in 2009.
As a veteran MP, Singh maintained cordial relations with legislators from all political parties. In Rajya Sabha, Singh served as the leader of the House and also as the leader of the opposition. He served on various parliamentary committees and chaired panels on estimates, energy and environment, and forests.
Jaswant Singh was also a candidate for vice president of the NDA in 2012 when he lost the election to former vice president Hamid Ansari.
Jaswant Singh’s relationship with the BJP became difficult after he failed to obtain a ballot in the 2014 general election. However, he contested from the Barmer constituency and lost the election. Shortly after the elections, the former Union minister suffered an accident in August 2014 and has not been well since.
“Sh Jaswant Singh was an academic leader of great majesty, integrity and credibility. He made a mark as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Defense in the Vajpayee government. End of another stalwart of a glorious bygone era. My condolences to Manvendra and his family. Om Shanti, “BJP leader Ram Madhav tweeted.
Jaswant Singh was expelled from the BJP in 2009 when his book ‘Jinnah: India, Partition, Independence’ was published, in which he allegedly praised the founder of Pakistan, Mohammad Ali Jinnah. Singh was the leader of the opposition in Rajya Sabha after the BJP lost power in 2004 and remained the party’s oldest leader in the Upper House until 2009.
“Deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Shri Jaswant Singh ji. He will be particularly remembered for designing a foreign policy for a nuclear India. As Foreign Minister, he brought out the best in Indian diplomats. His enormous scholarship was matched by his extraordinary personal grace. My deepest condolences to his family. Om Shanti, “tweeted Foreign Minister S Jaishankar.
Jaswant Singh had strong ties to Rajasthan, which was his home state. Ashok Gehlot, Prime Minister of Rajasthan and Leader of Congress, tweeted on Sunday: “My condolences on the passing of Rajasthan’s top leader and former Union Minister, Shri Jaswant Singh ji. May God give strength to your family members and followers in this hour of pain. May his soul rest in peace.”
Singh, had been ill after a fall at his home in August 2014 and was admitted to the Army Research and Referral Hospital in Delhi. He had been in and out of the hospital and was admitted again in June of this year, according to a PTI news report. “It is with deep regret that we report the sad passing of the Honorable Major Jaswant Singh (Retired), former Minister of the Government of India at 06.55 am on September 27, 2020. He was admitted on June 25, 2020 and is being treated for Sepsis with multi-organ dysfunction syndrome and effects of severe head injury. The elderly man (Optd) went into cardiac arrest this morning, “the hospital said in a statement.
Anuja contributed to the story.
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