New Delhi: President Pratibha Patil and Vice
President Hamid Ansari today condoled the death of former
Union Minister and Lok Sabha MP from Bihar Digvijay Singh.
Patil said Singh was a well-known parliamentarian who was
active in politics since his student days.
"He had the opportunity to serve in various capacities
during his political career. In his passing, the nation has
lost an active public figure," she said.
In his condolence message, the Vice President said he was
"deeply grieved" to learn about the Singh's demise.
"Singh served the people with distinction during his many
years in public life and always worked for the uplift of the
poor and the downtrodden and earned the respect and admiration
of the people for his dedication, sense of public service,
innate simplicity and honesty," he said.
Singh, a former Minister of State for External Affairs in
the NDA government, breathed his last today at St Thomas
Hospital in London. He was 53.
The death of Singh, who also had a stint as a junior
minister in the Railway Ministry, was also condoled by Railway
Minister Mamata Banerjee.
"Digvijay Singh, a close associate of mine, was a dynamic
politician who served the people with dedication and
commitment," Banerjee said, adding, the void created by his
demise would be difficult to fill.
In his condolence message, Minister of State for Railways
E Ahamed said with the demise of Singh, the nation has lost an
energetic parliamentarian who lived up to the ideals of
communal harmony and social justice.
Another Minister of State in the Ministry K H Muniyappa
said Singh will be remembered for his contribution to sports,
especially shooting. Singh was also the President of the
National Rifle Association of India (NRAI).
PTI
First Published: Thursday, June 24, 2010, 21:54