Former external affairs minister K Natwar Singh died on Saturday night after suffering from a prolonged illness. He was 93 years old. Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled his demise.
"Pained by the passing away of Natwar Singh. He made rich contributions to the world of diplomacy and foreign policy. He was also known for his intellect as well as prolific writing. My thoughts are with his family and admirers in this hour of grief," he wrote on X.
Natwar Singh passed away at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram near Delhi. He was admitted to the hospital two weeks ago.
Who was Natwar Singh?
- Natwar Singh was a former Congress leader. He joined politics after spending decades in the country's prestigious foreign services.
- Natwar Singh was born in 1931 in Rajasthan's Bharatpur.
- He was a career diplomat, who brought a wealth of experience in diplomacy to his political career and a prolific author on subjects ranging from the life of a maharaja to nuances of foreign affairs.
- Natwar Singh was selected into the Indian Foreign Service in 1953. In 1984, he resigned from the service and contested the Lok Sabha elections from the Congress ticket. He won the election and served as a union minister of state until 1989.
- Natwar Singh again became a union minister in 2004. He, however, resigned after 18 months over an alleged Iraqi oil scam pay-off scandal.
- Natwar Singh was later exonerated.
- Between 1966 and 1971, he was India's ambassador to Pakistan. He was a close aide of former prime minister Indira Gandhi and was attached to her office.
- Natwar Singh also authored several books including, 'The Legacy of Nehru: A Memorial Tribute' and 'My China Diary 1956-88'. His autobiography is titled 'One Life is Not Enough '.
- Natwar Singh later fell out with the Congress leadership.
- Natwar Singh was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1984.
Also read: Natwar Singh seeks papers linked to his clean chit in scam
{{/usCountry}}Also read: Natwar Singh seeks papers linked to his clean chit in scam
{{/usCountry}}Congress leader Randeep Surjewala paid tribute to the politician.
"The news of the demise of former Foreign Minister Natwar Singh ji is sad. May God give strength to his family to bear this loss and grant peace to the departed soul," he wrote on the social media platform in Hindi.
With inputs from PTI