Senior Congress leader and former Home Minister Buta Singh passes away
Chandigarh : Buta Singh, a senior Congress leader and who held various positions in the central government, died on Saturday morning after prolonged illness. 86-year-old Buta Singh died in New Delhi. His last rites will also be performed today. Born in Jalandhar district in 1934, Buta Singh was a big name in national politics. He was elected to the Lok Sabha eight times.
Sardar Buta Singh, known as a confidant of the Nehru-Gandhi family, held important responsibilities as Union Home Minister, Agriculture Minister, Railway Minister, Sports Minister and Governor of Bihar and Chairman of National Scheduled Castes Commission.
Shri Buta Singh Ji was an experienced administrator and effective voice for the welfare of the poor as well as downtrodden. Saddened by his passing away. My condolences to his family and supporters.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 2, 2021
Buta Singh was associated with the Congress when Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru became the PM. He had served in the cabinet of Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, PV Narasimha Rao and Manmohan Singh. He made a mark as a Dalit leader in the country. He became the General Secretary of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) (1978–1980), the Home Minister of India and later the Governor of Bihar (2004–2006). Buta Singh was known as the messiah of the Dalits. He was instrumental in the construction / re-construction of Sri Akal Takht Sahib in India and abroad. After Operation Blue Star in 1984, he also played a role in rebuilding the gurdwaras in Delhi and other places.
