Former External Affairs Minister and Veteran Congress leader Natwar Singh died of prolonged illness at a Gurugram hospital on Saturday.
Singh who was admitted to Medanta Hospital in Gurugram for two weeks was 93. He is survived by his wife Heminder Kumari Singh and son Jagat Singh.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to the former Union minister, saying Singh made rich contributions to the world of diplomacy and foreign policy and was known for his intellect and prolific writing. "Pained by the passing away of Shri Natwar Singh Ji. My thoughts are with his family and admirers in this hour of grief. Om Shanti,” the PM posted on X.
One of the first to confirm the news was Congress Rajya Sabha MP Randeep Singh Surjewala, who said, "The news of the demise of former Foreign Minister Natwar Singh ji is sad.”
Singh, who joined the IFS in 1953 at the age of 22, served as India's UK Deputy High Commissioner from 1973 to 1977. He was the High Commissioner to Zambia in 1977 and the Ambassador to Pakistan from 1980 to 1982. He was awarded Padma Vibhushan and was known for heading the Non-Alignment Summit preparatory panel in New Delhi in 1983.
In the Rajiv Gandhi government, he had also held Steel Mines and Coal, Agriculture and External Affairs portfolios. However, he left politics after P.V. Narasimha Rao became Prime Minister and later founded the All India Indira Congress. He became a Rajya Sabha MP in 2002 and served as the External Affairs Minister in the Manmohan Singh government from 2004 to 2005.
