Former Union minister and RLD chief Ajit Singh passes away

RLD Chief Ajit Singh (Image: PTI)

Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief and former Union minister Chaudhary Ajit Singh passed away on May 6 at the age of 82 after battling COVID-19.

Ajit Singh was undergoing treatment for the disease at a hospital in Gurugram, India Today reported.

The RLD chief's son Jayant Singh Chaudhary confirmed the news, and urged people to stay home and observe all COVID-safety protocols.

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— Jayant Chaudhary (@jayantrld) May 6, 2021

Many political leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah, expressed their condolences.

पूर्व केंद्रीय मंत्री चौधरी अजित सिंह जी के निधन से अत्यंत दुख हुआ है। वे हमेशा किसानों के हित में समर्पित रहे। उन्होंने केंद्र में कई विभागों की जिम्मेदारियों का कुशलतापूर्वक निर्वहन किया। शोक की इस घड़ी में मेरी संवेदनाएं उनके परिजनों और प्रशंसकों के साथ हैं। ओम शांति!

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 6, 2021

Ajit Singh was a seven-time Member of Parliament (MP) from Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh. He also served as Union Minister for Civil Aviation, Agriculture, and Food Processing Industries in three different governments.

The son of Chaudhary Charan Singh, a former Prime Minister, Ajit Singh was first elected as a Rajya Sabha MP in 1986.