By IANS,
New Delhi: The Congress Friday mourned the death of veteran party leader Arjun Singh, terming it a big blow to the nation.
“It’s a big setback to national politics and the Congress party. He was a sincere politician and qualifies as a statesman,” party general secretary Janardan Dwivedi said.
Singh, a former union minister, chief minister and governor, who made a strong bid to become prime minister in the mid-1990s, died of cardiac arrest in the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Friday evening.
Dwivedi, who paid tribute to the 80-year-old leader at AIIMS, said the last rites will take place in his hometown, Churhat in Madhya Pradesh.
“His body will be flown to Bhopal Saturday noon,” said Dwivedi.
Condoling his death, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit described him as a leader committed to the secular ideology.
“With his passing away the organisation has lost an experienced leader. He will always be remembered for his contribution at various levels,” she said.
A staunch loyalist of the Gandhi family, Arjun Singh was twice the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, governor of Punjab and commerce and human resource minister at the centre.
On Friday, Singh was named a permanent invitee to the Congress Working Committee.