Amar Singh, former Samajwadi Party leader and Rajya Sabha MP, dies in Singapore at 64

NEW DELHI: Former Samajwadi Party leader and Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh died in Singapore on Saturday (August 1, 2020). He was 64 years old and had been undergoing treatment in Singapore for a long time. He is survived by wife Pankaja and twin daughters.

The Rajya Sabha MP, who was under treatment there, had earlier undergone a kidney transplant. He had suffered kidney failure in 2013.

#BREAKING NEWS : राज्यसभा सांसद अमर सिंह का निधन @AmarSinghTweets

WATCH LIVE - https://t.co/gfUtRWrNnZ pic.twitter.com/ZGGwtTSDIr — Zee News (@ZeeNews) August 1, 2020

Earlier this morning, Singh had tweeted a tribute to freedom fighter and educationist Bal Gangadhar Tilak on his death anniversary and also wished Eid Al Adha to all his followers.

Earlier on March 22, Singh had posted a short video message on Twitter from the hospital bed. In the video, he made an appeal to all his followers to support Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the fight against coronavirus.

“Tiger Zinda Hai,” he had written in his short message posted along with the video.

As the news of his demise spread, condolences started pouring in from various quarters. 

Condoling the death of Amar Singh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi described him as an energetic public figure, who had witnessed some major political developments from close quarters. 

President Ram Nath Kovind also condoled the death of Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh, saying that he was a man of many parts and an able parliamentarian.

BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain paid tributes to Amar Singh. "No matter which party he belonged to, he had good relations with everybody."

Kalraj Mishra, another senior BJP leader, expressed grief on Amar Singh's death. ''He will be remembered for all his contributions. "We had very close relations. This is a personal loss for me," he said.

Defence Miniter Rajnath Singh also paid tributes to the departed soul and expressed condolences on his demise.

वरिष्ठ नेता एवं सांसद श्री अमर सिंह के निधन के समाचार से दुःख की अनुभूति हुई है। सार्वजनिक जीवन के दौरान उनकी सभी दलों में मित्रता थी।

स्वभाव से विनोदी और हमेशा ऊर्जावान रहने वाले अमर सिंहजी को ईश्वर अपने श्रीचरणों में स्थान दें। उनके शोकाकुल परिवार के प्रति मेरी संवेदनाएँ। — Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) August 1, 2020

The Youth Congress said, "We are deeply sorry at the passing away of Rajya Sabha MP Shri #AmarSingh. We express our condolences to his family and loved ones. May God give them strength in this time of grief."

We are deeply sorry at the passing away of Rajya Sabha MP Shri #AmarSingh.

We express our condolences to his family and loved ones. May God give them strength in this time of grief. pic.twitter.com/I13CRuzGZp — Youth Congress (@IYC) August 1, 2020

"My sincere condolences to the family of Shri Amar Singh ji. I express my deepest condolences to his bereaved wife and daughters in this sad moment," Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra tweeted.  

Amar Singh was once considered a very powerful SP leader but his clout as a politician declined ever since he floated his own outfit after leaving the Samajwadi Party. He was once considered SP founder Mulayam Singh’s close confidante.

Amar Singh was the general secretary of the Samajwadi Party and a member of the Rajya Sabha. In January 2010, he resigned from all the posts of the Samajwadi Party and was later expelled by chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on February 2, 2010. Singh and his protege, actor Jaya Prada, were expelled from the Samajwadi Party in February 2010 for "anti-party activities".

He spent a brief period in judicial custody in 2011 and finally retired from politics.

In 2016, he was elected to the Rajya Sabha with support from Samajwadi Party. He was reinstated as one of the general secretaries of the party in October 2016.