Ajit Singh Death News: Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief and former Union minister Chaudhary Ajit Singh passed away on Thursday after losing battle to Covid-19. He was 82. Singh was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Gurugram after been diagnosed with infection. He had tested positive for Covid-19 on April 20.
"Chaudhary Ajit Singh ji was diagnosed as Covid+ on the 20th of April. He battled his condition till the very end and breathed his last today morning, the 6th of May, 2021. Throughout his life journey, Chaudhary Sahib was loved and respected by many. He, in turn, cherished this bond with all of you and gave his best consideration and efforts for our welfare," his family said in a statement.
"As our nation confronts the horrific pandemic, it is our humble request to all those who wish to pay their respects, to please stay at home as far as possible. We must observe all safety protocols to keep ourselves and everyone around us healthy and safe. This would be the best way to honour Chaudhary Sahib as well as all those COVID warriors who are working night and day to protect us," the statement said.
"We pray for solace or all those families that have been ravaged by this brutal disease," it added.
Singh, son of former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh, was a seven-time MP from Uttar Pradesh's Baghpat. He founded the Rashtriya Lok Dal in 1996. The party has strong presence on the western Uttar Pradesh. Ajit Singh was first elected to Rajya Sabha in 1986. He was elected to Lok Sabha from Baghpat in 1989, 1991, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2004 and 2009.
Singh had served as the Union Minister of Civil Aviation in the Congress-led UPA II government. He was Union Minister of Agriculture from 2001 to 2003 in the NDA government headed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He held the Food Processing Industries and Commerce and Industry portfolios in PV Narasimha Rao and VP Singh's governments, respectively.
Ajit Singh obtained B.Tech (Computer Science) from IIT, Kharagpur and MS from Illinois Institute of Technology. A computer scientist by profession, Singh was one of the first Indians to work with IBM in the 1960s.
Meanwhile, expressing grief at the death of Ajit Singh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that he was always dedicated to the welfare of farmers. The PM said that he deftly handled many responsibilities at the Centre.
"The death of former Union Minister Chaudhary Ajit Singh ji is extremely sad. He was always devoted to the interests of the farmers. He efficiently discharged the responsibilities of several departments at the center. My condolences to his family and fans in this hour of mourning. om Shanti!" PM Modi said on Twitter.
Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also condoled the death of the RLD founder. "The news of the untimely demise of Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Ajit Singh ji is sad. My condolences to his family and loved ones," he tweeted.
READ MORE: Was devoted to interests of farmers: President, PM express grief on death of Ajit Singh
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