Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday (August 11) expressed grief over the passing of veteran Congress leader K Natwar Singh. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the Prime Minister extended his condolences while also remembering the deceased leader's significant contributions to the fields of diplomacy and foreign policy.
He said, "Pained by the passing away of Shri Natwar Singh Ji. He made rich contributions to the world of diplomacy and foreign policy. He was also known for his intellect as well as prolific writing. My thoughts are with his family and admirers in this hour of grief. Om Shanti."
Significantly, Singh died after a prolonged illness on Saturday (August 10), his family sources said. He was admitted to Medanta Hospital in Gurugram for the past couple of weeks but breathed his last on Saturday around 11:30 pm.
"His son is there at the hospital, and many more family members are coming to Delhi from his native state for the last rites planned in Delhi. He was not keeping well for some time," a family source said. He died late Saturday night, the source said.
Political Career
In 1984, Singh transitioned from diplomacy to politics, joining the Congress Party. His political career was marked by significant roles, including his appointment as External Affairs Minister in 2004-05 under Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh. Earlier, he served as the Union Minister of State for Steel, Mines, and Coal, and later as Minister of State for Agriculture from 1985-86 in Rajiv Gandhi’s government. He also held the position of Minister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs from 1986-89. This was during his first stint in politics, getting elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) from Bharatpur, Rajasthan, after leaving the Indian Foreign Service.
Meanwhile, it is pertinent to note that Singh also maintained a distance from the politics post the appointment of the then Prime Minister P.V. Narsimha Rao in 1991, as the two reportedly hold differences. He had then became one of the founders of the All India Indira Congress.
However, in 2002, Singh made a significant comeback with his appointment as the Rajya Sabha member. There too he continued to hold significant influence, eventually being appointed as the External Affairs Minister in Dr. Manmohan Singh’s Cabinet in 2004. But, his tenure was cut short in 2006 when he resigned amidst the oil-for-food scandal, which implicated people close to him, including his son, in financial irregularities. Although Singh consistently maintained his position, the controversy marred his political career, leading to his resignation from the Cabinet.
The scandal, brought to light by the UN’s Volcker Committee, alleged that Singh and the Congress Party had benefited from illicit payments related to the oil-for-food program. Significantly, in 2008, Singh resigned from Congress party.
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