Former Samajwadi Party leader and sitting Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh passed away today in Singapore. He was 64 and had been hospitalised for a long time. Amar Singh was born on January 27, 1956, in Aligarh district of Uttar Pradesh. He was an alumnus of St. Xavier's College and University College of Law, Kolkata, from where he earned his LLB.
Amar Singh had been battling health issues for several years. In 2015, he was once rushed to the Fortis Hospital in New Delhi after he complained of uneasiness and pain. He had been hospitalised in Singapore at least since March this year. In March, Amar singh rubbished rumours about his deaths with a video tweet saying ‘Tiger zinda hai' and though “well wishers” want him dead, he is alive, awaiting surgery.
In the past, Amar Singh had undergone a kidney transplant.
Earlier today, Amar Singh extended Eid greetings to his followers on Tiwtter and also paid tributes to freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak on his death anniversary.
WHO WAS AMAR SINGH?
Amar Singh was elected to the Rajya Sabha for the first time from Uttar Pradesh in 1996 and got re-elected in 2003. He came into prominence in India's political circles in late 1990s, particularly after his chance meeting with Samajwadi Party founder and president Mulayam Singh Yadav in a flight.
By this time, Amar Singh was already a member of an elite club of businesspersons with high-profile connections. He had his business interests in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Kerala, Arunachal Pradesh, among other states.
In politics, Amar Singh always professed personal loyalty to Mulayam Singh Yadav even after he was expelled from the party in 2010, when Mulayam Singh Yadav ‘s son Akhilesh Yadav asserted control over the party. There were allegations that Amar Singh was trying to create a rift within the party and the Yadav family in particular, while others alleged that he was himself warming up to Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party.
The Samajwadi Party, then headed by Mulayam Singh Yadav, expelled Amar Singh, his protege Jayaprada and four MLAs from the party's primary membership over charges of indulging in “anti-party activities”.
Soon after his expulsion, Amar Singh denied all charges of anti-party activities. He said that although he had never spoken against the SP, a political party couldn't be run like a dictatorship. He said his biggest regret was that the SP was trying to blame its alliance with Kalyan Singh (BJP) on him.
Amar Singh said Mulayam's family had started criticising him after he was hospitalised with a kidney problem. He also denied any move to join ranks with Mayawati.
Back then, there were also demands that Amar Singh should resign from his Rajya Sabha membership as it was earned on a SP ticket. To this, he said, “I have earned the (Rajya Sabha) seat and not got this as alms. I will not quit the seat. Even Mulayam Singh Yadav had not asked me to do so when I had spoken to him a few days ago.”
He was answering a specific question whether he will give up his Rajya Sabha seat after his expulsion from the party.
Hitting back at the Samajwadi Party, Amar Singh had said the only deal he tried to strike with the UPA in 2008 was for “exonerating” Mulayam Singh Yadav from the disproportionate assets case. “I did not make any deal but only asked for one favour from the UPA government and that was exoneration of SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav from the disproportionate assets case,” he told PTI in an interview.
When it comes to national politics, Amar Singh emerged as a key figure during Manmohan Singh's 10-year government between 2004 and 2014. He played key role in bringing together the Congress and the Samajwadi Party.
However, in 2011, Amar Singh was sent to the Tihar Jail in Delhi facing charges of corruption in the infamous ‘cash for vote case'. Amar Singh was accused of bribing three MPs to vote for the Manmohan Singh-led UPA1 government during the trust vote after the Left parties withdrew support from the UPA over the Indo-US Civil Nuclear Deal.
Meanwhile, in 2016, nearly six years after being expelled from the Samajwadi Party and having been in political exile for an even longer term, Amar Singh got elected to the Rajya Sabha as an Independent candidate from Uttar Pradesh.
But this was possible only after Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam singh Yadav backed his candidature. Over his decades-long political career, Amar Singh was part of a number of parliamentary committees.
LEADERS REACT TO AMAR SINGH's DEATH
Reacting to Amar Singh's death, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was an “energetic public figure” who had witnessed some of the major political developments in the country from close quarters.
“Amar Singh ji was an energetic public figure. In the last few decades, he witnessed some of the major political developments from close quarters. He was known for his friendships across many spheres of life. Saddened by his demise. Condolences to his friends and family. Om Shanti,” PM Modi said in a tweet.
Rajya Sabha Chairperson and Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu in a message said, “I pay my homage to the untimely demise of Shri Amar Singh. I express my condolences to his family members in this time of sorrow and pray that his soul rests in peace.”
Union Defence Minister Rajanth Singh too expressed his condeolences on Amar Singh's death. In a tweet, Rajnath Singh said he is saddened to hear about the death of Amar Singh. “He had friendly relations with all political parties.”
Samajwadi Party chief and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav too expressed his condolences.
