Former Union Interior Minister Buta Singh died at AIIMS here on Saturday morning. He was 86 years old. The congressional leader had been in a coma since October last year when he was admitted to the Indian Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) after suffering a brain hemorrhage.
Singh was a deputy eight times and also served as the governor of Bihar. President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh mourned his passing. “With the passing of Shri Buta Singh, the country has lost one of the oldest MPs with rich administrative experience. He championed the cause of the oppressed and marginalized. Condolences to his family and supporters,” Kovind said in a tweet.
सरदार बूटा सिंह जी के देहांत से देश ने एक सच्चा जनसेवक और निष्ठावान नेता खो दिया है।उन्होंने अपना पूरा जीवन देश की सेवा और जनता की भलाई के लिए समर्पित कर दिया, जिसके लिए उन्हें सदैव याद रखा जाएगा। इस मुश्किल समय में उनके परिवारजनों को मेरी संवेदनाएँ।
– Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) January 2, 2021
Shri Buta Singh Ji was a seasoned administrator and an effective voice for the welfare of the poor and oppressed. Saddened by his passing. My condolences to his family and followers.
– Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 2, 2021
“Saddened to learn of Shri Buta Singh Ji’s passing. He was a capable administrator and parliamentarian. My condolences to the grieving family members. Om Shanti!” Naidu wrote on Twitter. “Shri Buta Singh Ji was a seasoned administrator and an effective voice for the welfare of the poor and downtrodden. Saddened by his passing. My condolences to his family and supporters,” the prime minister wrote on the microblogging website .
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said: “Shri Buta Singh ji dedicated his life to serving the poor and downtrodden. He served the nation in various capacities. Grieving at his passing. Condolences to his family and followers. Om Shanti.” Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said Singh dedicated his entire life to serving the country. “With the disappearance of Sardar Buta Singh Ji, the country has lost a true public servant and a loyal leader. He dedicated his entire life to serving the country and the welfare of the people, for which he will always be remembered. My condolences to the members of his family during this difficult time, “the former head of Congress said in a Hindi tweet.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, her Rajasthani counterpart Ashok Gehlot and her Punjab counterpart Amarinder Singh also condemned Singh’s death. Born in the Jalandhar district of Punjab on March 21, 1934, Singh was a deputy eight times in the Lok Sabha. He represented the Jalore constituency in Rajasthan and was first elected to the Lower House of Parliament in 1962.
Singh was previously associated with Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), but then joined Congress in the early 1960s. A prominent Dalit leader of the great old party, he was the coordinator of the Harijan cell of the All-Congress Committee of the Congress. India (AICC) in 1973-74, after which he became the general secretary of AICC in 1978.
Singh became Deputy Minister of the Union, Railways in 1974 and Deputy Minister of the Union, Commerce in 1976. In 1980, he became the Minister of State, Transport and Maritime Transport of the Union and also received the portfolio of sports (independent position ) in 1982. In 1983, then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi elevated him as Cabinet Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Sports and Works and Housing. In 1984, he was appointed Union Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development and, in 1986, Union Minister of the Interior in Rajiv Gandhi’s cabinet.
Under PV Narasimha Rao, Singh was the Union Minister for Civil Supplies, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution from 1995 to 1996. Manmohan Singh appointed him chairman of the National Registered Caste Commission (NCSC) in 2007. He held that position until 2010 .
Singh was instrumental in building and rebuilding many gurdwaras at home and abroad, especially Sri Akaal Takht, after Operation Blue Star in 1984. He was involved in rebuilding many gurdwaras in Delhi after the riots. November anti-Sikh. 1984. Singh participated in the election of the new electoral symbol “hand” of Congress after the party split in 1978.
He was closely associated with Indira Gandhi during Operation Blue Star and, as a minister, oversaw the rebuilding of the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Punjab, after the Army operation. Singh was also the chairman of the organizing committee for the Asian Games when the competition was held in India in 1982.
He also courted controversies. In 1998, as Minister of Communications, he was charged in the JMM bribery case and had to resign. As governor of Bihar in 2005, his decision to recommend the dissolution of the State Assembly was criticized by the Supreme Court and he later resigned.
Singh is survived by a daughter and two sons.
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