Congress Leader Buta Singh Dies At 86, Tributes Pour In

Buta Singh, a veteran Congress leader who worked as Minister holding different portfolios under former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and P V Narasimha Rao, passed away at AIIMS on Saturday morning. He was in coma since October after he suffered brain haemorrhage. He was 86.

His demise was announced by his son Arvinder Singh Lovely Sidhu on Facebook. "My father, Buta Singh, passed away today morning. May Waheguru bless his soul," read the post in Hindi.

Congress  leader and MP Rahul Gandhi extended his condolences after the passing of Buta Singh and said the former Union minister and senior party leader was a true public servant to the country.

Tributes also poured in from President Ram Nath Kovind, PM Narendra Modi, Ashok Gehlot Amarinder Singh and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

"In the passing of Shri Buta Singh, the country has lost  one of the longest serving parliamentarians with rich administrative experience. He championed the cause of the oppressed and marginalized. Condolences to his family and supporters," President Ram Nath Kovind tweeted.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot wrote, "Sad to learn about the demise of former Union minister, senior Congress leader and former MP from Rajasthan, Shri Buta Singh ji. My heartfelt condolences to his family members in this difficult time, may God give them strength to bear this loss. May his soul rest in peace."

Born in 1934 in Punjab's Jalandhar, Buta Singh contested his first elections as the member of the Shiromani Akali Dal and joined the Indian National Congress in the 1960s. He was first elected to the third Lok Sabha in 1962 from the Sadhna constituency. He was the Union home minister and Union agriculture minister. He was also the chairperson of the National Commission For Scheduled Caste from 2007 to 2010.

Buta Singh's last political assignment was a two-year term as the Governor of Bihar in 2004.