Jaswant Singh dies, PM Modi pays tribute

Former Union minister Jaswant Singh, a close associate of ex-prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, died here on Sunday following a long spell of illness. He was 82.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other top BJP leaders paid rich tributes to Singh, saying that he served India diligently and will be remembered for his unique perspective on matters of politics and society.

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.

“It is with profound grief that we inform about the sad demise of Hon’ble Major Jaswant Singh (Retd), former Cabinet Minister of Government of India at 0655 hours on 27 September 2020. He was admitted on 25 Jun 2020 and being treated for Sepsis with Multiorgan Dysfunction Syndrome and effects of Severe Head Injury old (Optd) had a Cardiac arrest this morning,” the hospital said in a statement.

Despite the best efforts of the attending team of specialists to resuscitate him, he could not be revived and passed away, it added.