Marshal of the IAF Arjan Singh critically ill, PM Modi visits him in hospital

Singh, 98, the only officer of the IAF to be promoted to five-star rank, was admitted to the Army’s Research and Referral hospital on Saturday.

Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh, famous for his role in the 1965 India-Pakistan war, has been hospitalised and his condition is said to be critical.

Former army chief Gen VK Singh (left) with former Air Chief Marshal Arjan Singh at a Republic Day ceremony in New Delhi in 2012. (HT File Photo)

The only officer of the IAF to be promoted to five-star rank, Singh was admitted to the Army’s Research and Referral hospital on Saturday morning.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman and IAF chief BS Dhanoa visited Singh at the hospital.

“His condition is critical,” official sources said. The 98-year-old was admitted to the hospital after he complained of uneasiness.

“We are all praying for the speedy recovery of Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh. Doctors are doing their best,” Modi tweeted after his visit.

An icon of the Indian military, Singh led a young IAF into war and to victory in 1965 when Pakistan launched its Operation Grand Slam with an armoured thrust targeted at the vital town of Akhnoor. Singh was 44 years old at the time and led with courage, determination and professional skill despite constraints on a full-scale use of air force combat power.