Former Union minister Jaswant Singh passed away on Sunday at the age of 82. Singh, a former Army officer, had been ill after a fall at his home in August 2014 and was admitted to the Army Research and Referral Hospital. He had been in and out of the hospital and was admitted again in June this year.
Singh hailed from Jodhpur in Rajasthan. He tenured as minister in foreign, defence and finance portfolios in the Vajpayee regime, after an early stint in the Army. The BJP had expelled Singh after he praised Muhammad Ali Jinnah in a 2009 book. In his Jinnah-India, Partition, Independence, Singh blamed the Congress and its stalwart Jawaharlal Nehru for the partition and said Jinnah was "demonised". Gujarat had also banned the book for its critical reference to Sardar Patel. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was then the state's chief minister.
Singh had unsuccessfully contested Rajasthan's Barmer seat in the 2014 general elections as an independent candidate.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh tweeted: “Deeply pained by the passing away of veteran BJP leader and former Minister, Shri Jaswant Singh ji. He served the nation in several capacities including the charge of Raksha Mantri. He distinguished himself as an effective Minister and Parliamentarian.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted: "Jaswant Singh ji served our nation diligently, first as a soldier and later during his long association with politics. During Atal ji’s Government, he handled crucial portfolios and left a strong mark in the worlds of finance, defence and external affairs. Saddened by his demise.”
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal expressed condolences. “V sad to hear about the demise of Sh Jaswant Singh ji. He worked for the country all his life, whether inside the govt or outside. May his soul rest in peace (sic),” he tweeted.